South East Farmer June 2020 by KELSEY Media

Est 1982

June 2020

OUT & ABOUT COURT LODGE ORGANICS

A conservation-led approach to dairy farming

NEWS

FEATURE

A “PERFECT STORM”

WATTS FARMS Capitalising on the new home deliveries market

COLUMNIST MONICA AKEHURST

I miss the chit-chat and the banter.

FEATURE SUCCESSION PLANNING

Securing your farm or estate’s long-term future

Unlock your farm’s potential Talk to the South East experts

Chris Tipping 01444 412402 Charlotte Pearson Wood 01892 509280 Harry Broadbent-Combe 01798 877555

www.southeastfarmer.net SOUTH EAST FARMER Kelsey Media, The Granary, Downs Court Yalding Hill, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 6AL 01959 541444 EDITORIAL Editor: Malcolm Triggs Email: sef.ed@kelsey.co.uk Photography: Martin Apps, Countrywide Photographic PUBLISHER Jamie McGrorty 01303 233883 jamie.mcgrorty@kelsey.co.uk AD PRODUCTION Studio Manager: Jo Legg jo.legg@kelsey.co.uk Graphic Designer: James Pitchford MANAGEMENT CHIEF EXECUTIVE: Steve Wright CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER: Phil Weeden MANAGING DIRECTOR: Kevin McCormick PUBLISHER: Jamie McGrorty RETAIL DIRECTOR: Steve Brown RENEWALS AND PROJECTS MANAGER: Andy Cotton SENIOR SUBSCRIPTION MARKETING MANAGER: Nick McIntosh SUBSCRIPTION MARKETING DIRECTOR: Gill Lambert SUBSCRIPTION MARKETING MANAGER: Kate Chamberlain PRINT PRODUCTION MANAGER: Georgina Harris PRINT PRODUCTION CONTROLLER: Kelly Orriss DISTRIBUTION Distribution in Great Britain: Marketforce (UK) 2nd Floor, 5 Churchill Place Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU Tel: 020 3787 9001

JUNE 2020

CONTENTS

05 06 08 12 54

NEWS & REPORTS

Agriculture Bill third reading. Skills decision threatens new crisis. Cheesemakers face “perfect storm”. Reaction to dairy rescue package.

REGULARS

OUT AND ABOUT

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MARKET REPORTS

ADVICE FROM THE VET

Nigel Akehurst visits Court Lodge Farm in Wartling, East Sussex, to find out more

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MONICA AKEHURST

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NICK ADAMES

Cheque for rent torn up.

I miss the chit-chat and the banter.

about their conservation-led approach

STEPHEN CARR

SARAH CALCUTT

ANITA HEAD

True supply and demand reflected.

ALAN WEST

Alan turns to poetry as he reflects on the limited impact of the coronavirus crisis on sheep farmers and finds time to discover more about Herdwicks.

LAND AND FARMS

FEATURES

SUCCESSION PLANNING

WATTS FARMS

drinking yoghurt.

The vineyard and the maize seem to be doing well, but the ‘resident complainers’ are upsetting our outspoken columnist.

Professional advice on why it’s never too early to put plans in place for the longterm future of your farm or business. Capitalising on the new home deliveries market.

OPINION

Rip it off quickly or go for the slower alternative? I have plenty of happier recollections, of course, but one of the abiding memories of my childhood is of having plasters put on cut knees – and of the pain involved in their removal a few days later. That was always the tricky decision – rip it off quickly and endure the short, sharp, shock, or go for the slower and ultimately more painful alternative? I don’t think I was any more accident prone than my friends, brothers or sister, but I always seemed to be falling over and scraping my knees, running home in tears and having an oblong strip of soon-to-be grubby plaster placed over the scrape. It solved the problem and I went back out to play, the knee soon healed and all was well; until the next tumble and the next

plaster. And the next. The sensible answer, of course, would have been to stop falling over – and you will be pleased to learn that in time I managed that – but in the short term mum relied on sticking a plaster over the wound, rather like the powers-that-be have been doing with the dairy industry over many years. The announcement that dairy farmers hit by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic would receive a payout of up to £10,000 – subject to the usual clauses and conditions – was generally well received, and as sticking plasters go it was a reasonably generous contribution towards a problem that was not of the farmers’ making. It will, one hopes, help dairy farmers ride the current storm and keep their businesses afloat, though the memories of pouring litres of perfectly good milk down drains or onto fields should stay with all of us as a reminder of the wastefulness that can accompany a flawed system. The question, of course, is whether or not the Government, in the shape of DEFRA, should continue to provide plasters to the dairy industry’s cut knees or whether it should instead be finding ways of preventing it from falling over in future. Before the bailout was announced, a number of initiatives had been suggested or implemented, such as temporarily lifting competition rules to promote better supply and demand management, and those on higher pay grades than me need to keep looking for ways to prevent similar crises in future. As dairy farmers wipe away the tears and dash off out to play in the sunshine with their friends again, it is vital that writing out a few cheques for £10,000 is not seen as a quick and easy replacement for a proper, in-depth look at the whole industry and

the way it functions. While generally welcoming it, many have described the support payment as a “drop in the ocean”, and however generous this or future support may be, such handouts will never be the answer to the more fundamental problem of a dairy sector that has been undervalued for so long. Clearly the answer isn’t simple – and I don’t claim to have it – but the industry has been calling out for long-term help for many years and if this crisis inspires the breakthrough that allows dairy farmers to make a decent living and the rest of us to continue to enjoy plentiful supplies of fresh, home-grown milk and dairy products, this awful virus will have had at least one positive impact. MALCOLM TRIGGS - EDITOR

EMAIL YOUR VIEWS, LETTERS OR OPINIONS TO: sef.ed@kelsey.co.uk or write to the address on page 3 ®

TB TESTING CHANGES WELCOMED

Temporary changes to the regulations around bovine TB testing have been welcomed by the British Veterinary Association (BVA). The measures, announced by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), allow calves under 180 days old in Officially TB Free herds to be excluded from certain routine and targeted surveillance skin tests if the vet thinks testing them would risk breaching social distancing guidelines. Horsham-based Dr Simon Potter, from Westpoint Farm Vets, said earlier advice was for TB testing to continue as normal, although some timescales had been relaxed. “The problem is that younger animals are harder to test, and before the coronavirusinspired social distancing rules came in, tests normally relied on one of the farm workers holding the animal still,” he said. “Doing it that way now clearly risks breaching the two metre rule and so the APHA has agreed that in herds that are officially TB free the vet can decide animals under 180 days can be excluded if testing would be likely to breach social distancing rules.” He added that pre-movement tests would still be expected for cattle in TB edge and high risk areas. “I think this is a sensible approach to the issue which maintains the balance between animal health and disease control and the need to observe social distancing rules as part of the response to the Covid-19 pandemic,” Simon added. BVA Junior Vice President James Russell welcomed the change. “We are extremely pleased to see this pragmatic approach to bovine TB testing rules following urgent representations to the Government by the veterinary profession,” he said.

DEADLINE MOVED

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has moved the deadline for claims under the Basic Payment Scheme and Stewardship to 15 June, without penalty, although farmers are being encouraged to submit claims and applications as soon as possible. Applications for new Countryside Stewardship Mid-Tier agreements are still being accepted ahead of the deadline of 31 July 2020. The period for amending Higher and Mid-Tier claims without penalty has also been extended to 30 June. Claims will continue to be accepted up to 10 July 2020 but with penalties. Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) Chief Executive George Dunn said that while some farmers would have struggled with the 15 May deadline for Basic Payment Scheme and Stewardship Claims under the current restrictions, it was “disappointing that a more innovative solution was not forthcoming to keep the 15 May deadline for the vast majority of individuals, while providing specific measures for those with difficulties”. He added: “Now that the decision has been made to move the deadlines to June, we must not see this being used as an excuse for making late payments. It is essential for the cash flow of farming businesses that there is no delay to making payments.” The RPA has also said Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship claimants still awaiting payment of their 2019 claims would be provided with 75% of their estimated claim value as a bridging payment before the end of May. In response, The TFA said it had “challenged the RPA to ensure that it continues to finalise claims so that, in the vast majority of cases, the remaining 25% of the payment can be delivered by the end of June”. It urged members who had not received an expected Stewardship payment to get in contact. The TFA has also reminded members that Health and Safety Executive guidelines regarding the use of facemasks when carrying out farm work must still be followed despite the current shortage caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

NEWS

CHEQUE

FOR RENT TORN UP

A Surrey farmer was left stunned and “a bit emotional” when his landlord telephoned and made him listen down the line while he tore up the cheque he had sent to pay for the rent on 66 acres of grazing land. Ian McCubbine, who farms Broadland Farm, Smallfield, with his father Malcolm (pictured), normally meets the landlord for a beer before handing over the six-monthly rent cheque for the ground they have rented for the past 35 years, but with the Covid-19 lockdown in place he posted it instead. “A couple of days later he phoned me,” Ian recalled. “I was a bit worried about what I might have done, but he just said ‘listen’. The next thing I heard was the sound of the cheque being ripped up. “I was stunned. He said to me: ‘I’ve been watching the television and you boys are going to have a really hard time so this is my bit to help you get through it.’ “It made me realise that there are people in the world who value us. To be honest it made me quite emotional. The landlord – who doesn’t want to be named – isn’t a farmer but his grandfather was, so he understands the challenges. But what a wonderful gesture.” Ian stressed that he hadn’t mentioned the coronavirus crisis pressure on the farming industry and said the gesture had been completely out of the blue. “The landlord isn’t particularly wealthy; he just decided he wanted to help,” he said. Ian and Malcolm both sit on the Tenant Farmers Association’s south east regional committee, with Ian currently the regional vice-chairman. Trading as MJ and ML Cubbine, they farm 500 acres and keep 200 beef cattle and 40 dairy replacements as well as supplying hay for the equine trade. They have farmed in Surrey since 1958 and at Broadland Farm for the past 40 years.

Farmers are being urged to apply for financial support for organic conversion as the sector faces a surge in demand for British organic food driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. While businesses continue to face challenges from the rapidly changing situation, the organic market still looks set to surpass the £2.5bn sales mark by the end of the year, with organic sales rising significantly in March and April and continuing to outperform non-organic. Sophie Kirk, Farming Business Development

Employment law www.whitehead-monckton.co.uk

ORGANIC GROWTH

Manager at Soil Association Certification, said: “Covid-19 has caused huge disruption for the whole farming sector, but it’s also presented opportunities. We are cautiously optimistic that resilience in the organic market will continue.” Many Soil Association organic businesses have reported increased demand, including processors supplying into supermarkets who experienced a

25.6% increase in sales in March and April, according to one trusted data source. The surge in demand comes as the deadline approaches to request application forms for organic conversion financial support via the government’s Countryside Stewardship scheme for England. www.soilassociation.org/farmfundingengland

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SEF 2020

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NEWS Disappointed farmers are hoping to persuade the House of Lords to intervene after Parliament rejected calls for food standards to be enshrined in the Agriculture Bill. The third reading of the Bill was the last chance for the Commons to accept an amendment put forward by MPs Simon Hoare and Neil Parish that would have required the Agriculture Bill to legislate for imported foods to meet UK standards. DEFRA Secretary George Eustice has consistently said food standards should be protected as part of future trade deals, ignoring the industry’s calls for them to be included in legislation, and MPs failed to back the amendment. The National Sheep Association is one of the groups looking to the Lords to put pressure on the Government to change its view. Chief executive Phil Stocker commented: “With the Government’s manifesto commitment to protect and not compromise on our environmental and animal welfare standard in trade deals, it is highly concerning that they will not cement this in legislation.”

STANDARDS AMENDMENT

THROWN OUT He added: “The pledge, after all, is one that stands for the term of this Government, but this commitment needs to be far more permanent than that.” That view was shared by Dr David Rose, from the University of Reading, who said: “The Bill fails to provide legal protection for farmers being undercut by cheap foreign imports which are produced to lower environmental and animal welfare standards, such that they would be illegal to produce here.” Dr Rose was also one of those who pointed out that the Covid-19 crisis had ”illustrated the vital role that our farmers play in keeping the supermarket shelves stocked and the nation fed,” adding that the Bill should be used “to protect our farmers in a postBrexit era so that they can adapt and thrive, keeping

JUNE 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

our nation fed and our environment looked after”. Mr Stocker agreed: “Our domestic market is always the one we fall back on in times of concern, whether it’s brought about by animal disease, human pandemics or political disagreements, and they wonder why supply chains struggle to adapt. “One thing we must learn from the recent Covid-19 problems is that food security and resilient supply chains are equal in importance to environmental protection and climate change.” Dr Rose praised other parts of the Bill, which he said included “a commitment to provide public money to support the provision of various public goods on farmland, such as flood management, improved biodiversity, healthier soils, cleaner air, and cleaner water [and] provisions to boost agricultural productivity”. CPRE, the countryside charity, welcomed the Bill as “an important step forward in tackling the climate and nature emergencies” and also said it would allow the government “greater flexibility to support the farmers hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic and its aftershocks”. Tom Fyans, campaigns and policy director, said the Bill had always “represented a radical rethink of farming practice, especially in recognising the importance of healthy soils,” and added: “Since then, the coronavirus has shone a light on the importance of a resilient food system. Now, more than ever, we need to support farmers to adopt practices that tackle the climate emergency and welcome nature back, while providing nutritious food. “The bill will reward farmers that look after their soil, conserve water and protect and enhance the countryside. That way we will get the good food we all need and ensure it doesn’t come at the cost of nature.” The Bill, introduced in September 2018, sets out the framework for the transition from the Common Agricultural Policy to a new system based on paying the sector for providing those ‘public goods’, but as Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron pointed out, there is a significant timescale gap. Calling for a delay in the transition, he said the plan was to remove 50% of Basic Payments by 2024, reducing net farm incomes by 46%, while the new scheme was not due to be introduced fully until 2028. “There are 89,000 current claimants of basic payments,” he said. “How many of those farms do we expect to survive this long period where their incomes are slashed before a replacement is ready?”

NEWS Photo ©Peter Hall

The CLA had also wanted more time for farmers to adapt, with President Mark Bridgeman commenting: “It is deeply frustrating that calls to delay the start of the transition from direct payments has been ignored by the UK Government. “It’s crucial that farming businesses are given the right information so they can plan for the future and adapt to the new system. “The Environmental Land Management Scheme has the potential to be a world leading land management policy and it deserves to succeed – but if the transition starts before the details are fully understood then it puts farmers in a very difficult position. Government should publish full details of how the new schemes will work in practice, and how we will transition, as soon as possible.” The NFU, which persuaded nearly 2,000 of its members to use an online tool to email 330 MPs about the Bill, was also disappointed and said it had continued to lobby for amendments “which would stop sub-standard food being imported into this country in any future trade deals”. NFU director of EU Exit and International Trade Nick von Westenholz said: “Despite manifesto commitments and frequent warm words from the government, it is disappointing that they did not take the opportunity to legislate that they will not allow the imports of food that it would be illegal for our farmers to produce here. “We have seen clearly in the past few days the strength of feeling among farmers, MPs and politicians on this issue and as the Bill now moves to the House of Lords we will continue our work to ensure British farming standards are not undercut by future trade deals.”

NEW POPULATIONS

DISCOVERED

Photo ©Fiona Haynes

Volunteers for Butterﬂy Conservation have discovered several new populations of the rare striped lychnis moth in Hampshire and West Sussex. The nationally scarce moth is only found in around 40 colonies, mainly in this part of the country, which led conservation officer Fiona Haynes to describe the discovery of the nine new sites as “exciting and encouraging news”. The population sites include West Harting Down Forestry England site, Harting Down National Trust site, Old Winchester Hill and Beacon Hill National Nature Reserves and several woodland areas and farms. Striped Lychnis needs just one foodplant – Verbascum nigrum or Dark Mullein. This is an attractive, short-lived biennial that is most commonly found on chalky soils, has tall flower spikes of yellow flowers with pink stamens and is very attractive to pollinators. Dark Mullein is often seen on road verges as well as on unploughed field margins and long-term fallow or ‘set aside’ land. The project was funded by the John Spedan Lewis Foundation.

TWIDDLING WITH THEIR HOPS

Some farming jobs are easier than others when it comes to social distancing, and the new rules didn’t stop Hogs Back Brewery, based near Farnham in Surrey, from carrying out the traditional task of ‘twiddling’ the newly-emerging hop plants in its hop garden. Hop twiddling is a vital part of hop maintenance that involves winding the hop plants round the strings and up the poles and saw the brewery recruit extra pairs of hands from the brewer’s Tongham TEA (Traditional English Ale) Club of loyal local drinkers. The volunteer hop twiddlers were strictly limited to four per session and worked in their own section of the garden, well away from others, while instructions were given from a safe distance by hop garden manager Matthew King and brewery tour guides Bruce Cornford and Denise Gauntlet.

> Hogs Back Brewery hop garden manager Matthew King (front), with volunteers carrying out essential hop ‘twiddling’ in the brewery’s hop garden

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NEWS Breeders from Sussex and Essex make the top ten in a ranking that has consistently shown the strength of the Texel breed. Latest results from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB)’s RamCompare project again show Texels in nine of the top ten slots for overall carcass merit, something that has become a feature of the project over the past four breeding seasons (2016 to 2019). In addition, 11 of the top 15 rams for overall carcass merit were Texels. Steve Smith, Texel Sheep Society breed development committee chairman, said this showed the exceptional strength in depth offered by the Texel breed to commercial producers across the UK. A ram from The Wealden Flock bred by Tim Healy

TEXEL STRENGTH

from Horsham was named as the eighth highest ranking ram for overall carcass merit in the 2019 project year, while Gaynes Park Major, bred by Gaynes Park Farm, Epping, Essex, ranks ninth for overall carcass merit estimated breeding value (EBV) over the project’s four year term. Designed to provide an overarching index showing the genetic merit of sires used in commercial flocks, the carcass merit index combines EBVs for carcass weight, carcass conformation and carcass fat class. “It gives the most complete assessment of a ram’s

potential to influence their progeny. It is no surprise to see Texel rams scoring so well on this EBV and it reflects the breed’s universally acknowledged ability to improve carcass quality across a wide range of dam breeds in a diverse range of farming systems and environments,” he said. In the 2019 RamCompare results Texels once again posted some impressive results, taking four of the top five spots in the overall carcass merit EBV rankings. “Overall seven of the top 10 rams for carcass merit EBV in the 2019 season were Texel rams,” explained Mr Smith.

ANOTHER LOOMING CRISIS

Another looming crisis in the dairy industry could lead to milk shortages and an increasing reliance on imports, a farmer has warned. Speaking exclusively to South East Farmer, Mike King warned that the Government’s decision not to class dairy workers as ‘highly skilled’ when a new points-based immigration system comes into play at the start of 2021 is likely to lead to a labour shortage across the industry. “If we aren’t allowed to bring in new workers from overseas I’m really not sure how we will be able to keep producing the same quantity of milk,” he said. “We will quickly get to the sort of shortages at the start of the Covid-19 outbreak and a greater reliance on imports.” Mr King currently has six overseas workers, from Latvia and Romania, but says they generally return to their families after two or three years of employment in this country. He believes that the coronavirus crisis may mean some will want to return sooner, once the lockdown ends, to be with

their loved ones. “We will have a real problem if we can’t replace them,” said Mr King, who has 700 dairy cattle within a total beef and dairy herd of 1,200 animals. “And it’s not as though we don’t try to recruit locally. “I advertised recently and received 200 enquiries. Of that 200, around 40 completed the application form. Most of them dropped out at the online interview stage, I ended up with two for face-to-face interviews and both of them turned the job down. They thought being asked to start work at 5am was ‘ridiculous’. “And that was for a job that comes with a two-bedroomed flat in a modern barn conversion and pays between £26,000 and £28,000 a year.” While Mike farms at Two Pools Farm in South Gloucestershire, the problem will affect dairy operations across the country, and prompted the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) to submit detailed evidence to the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) Inquiry

JUNE 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

into Labour in the Food Supply Chain at the end of April. RABDF fears that a failure to recognise dairy workers as ‘highly skilled’ will leave the UK dairy industry with a severe labour shortage. Mike added that it was “somewhat ironic” that although the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) did not include dairy workers on the Shortage Occupation List, they have been classed as ‘key workers’ during the Covid-19 crisis. RABDF Managing Director Matthew Knight said: “It is vital the Government understands the importance of foreign labour for the continued function of the UK dairy industry and why the tasks they undertake on-farm require skill, experience and in some cases formal qualifications.” A survey by RABDF in 2016 found over half of the respondents employed staff from outside of the UK in the previous five years – a 24% increase on 2014. Almost two-thirds said this was due to insufficient UK staff being available.

NEWS Farmers and landowners are being urged to report ﬂy-tipping incidents to their local councils following a spike in recorded incidents as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Councils were quick to close their household recycling centres to the public when ‘stay at home’ measures were introduced, leading to reports of increased fly tipping, a situation made worse by locked-down families spending their extra free time gardening or clearing out sheds and garages. While DEFRA has now published guidance encouraging councils to open their sites as long as social distancing can be maintained and the public and staff can be kept safe, the problem is unlikely to disappear overnight. While some councils are already planning for a limited re-opening, restrictions will inevitably continue for some time and are likely to result in some people still resorting to dumping waste illegally. In response, the CLA is encouraging landowners and farmers, along with the public, to report any fly-tipping incidents to their local authorities. The organisation is also reminding farmers and landowners to ensure gates to fields are locked, make concealed entrances more visible to passers-by and consider using CCTV in black spots. CLA South East Regional Director Michael Valenzia said: “Farmers and landowners are victims of this crime yet have to clear fly-tipped waste from their land, which we estimate costs on average

REPORT INCIDENTS

about £900 per incident. If they don’t, they face prosecution themselves, while the environmental impact is also considerable, especially if items such as asbestos are dumped.” The CLA published an action plan in 2017 which led to the government introducing new regulations enabling local councils to issue fixed penalty notices or fines of up to £400 for small scale fly-tipping. Meanwhile Rural insurance specialist Lycetts has joined the call for farmers and landowners to take all necessary steps to protect their land, liaise closely with neighbours and ensure they have

sufficient insurance cover in place should they fall victim to fly-tipping. “At a time when farmers are working flat out to feed the nation ahead of the busy harvest months, they can ill-afford to contend with the costly and time-consuming burden of removing waste from their land,” said Rupert Wailes-Fairbairn, Rural Divisional Director, Lycetts. “Although local authorities can investigate fly-tipping incidents on private land, and bring prosecutions when there is sufficient evidence, the Local Government Association has called for more funding to help them do so.”

Fly tipping can be reported to local councils via www.gov.uk/report-ﬂytipping or anonymously to Crimestoppers, by phoning 0800 555 111.

INSIGHTS INTO GROWING

Oxfordshire farmers have been helping the organic cause by looking at which wheat varieties perform best without chemical inputs in the second year of an Innovative Farmers field lab test. The farmer-led research tested 22 different wheat varieties in plot trials on organic land to discover which types have traits most suitable for farming without chemical inputs. The group of farmers and researchers, which included Adrian Hares, of Roundhill Farm, Highworth, came together after they identified a knowledge gap caused by the fact that most commercial variety wheat trials do not take place under organic conditions. Innovative Farmers, part of the Duchy Future Farming Programme, linked the farmers with the Organic Research Centre to jointly design the practical on-farm research, which is primarily taking place on Bradwell Grove Estate, Oxfordshire. For the second year, popular conventional varieties like Zyatt and Skyfall did not perform as well as other varieties when compared within the trial’s organic conditions, demonstrating the importance of organic testing to discover the varieties that have genetic traits suitable for a non-chemical farming regime. Assessments included disease susceptibility, protein levels, yield and growth characteristics, giving farmers a valuable insight into variety choice. Some farmers in the field lab group have used the plot trials to make decisions on trialling new varieties at field scale. Adrian, who trialled three of the varieties on his own farm at field level so that he could assess them when using farm-scale equipment, said the advantage of taking part in the field lab trial was that it was carried out “on our own ground, on our own soil type, with our own weed burden and our own control regime”. He went on: “One variety was very tall, which a lot of people like, but we need

WITHOUT CHEMICAL INPUTS

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to be able to top weeds above the crop because of our specific machinery. So, it is interesting to see what qualities apply to our situation. “Collaboration is the way forward; standing in someone’s field and seeing what they’ve done is really valuable and we also use that time to compare techniques. Sharing ideas is a great benefit to Innovative Farmers and doing trials in this way, with researchers helping us, makes the data more valuable.”

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NEWS

INNOVATIVE SCHEME Two South East young farmers who were part of the NFU’s first group of Student & Young Farmer Ambassadors have praised the success of the innovative scheme. George Biss, from the Isle of Wight, and Dan Wells, a dairy manager from Haywards Heath, both encouraged other young farmers to apply to be part of the next cohort of ambassadors. Although their year in the spotlight was cut short by the coronavirus outbreak, George and Dan both said they had enjoyed a fascinating and rewarding time as the younger faces of farming in the UK. The NFU said the inaugural programme had “a huge impact in its first year”, with ambassadors attending around 15 events, making dozens of media appearances and generally sharing their passion for farming with the wider world. “We were in Brussels visiting the European Parliament on the day the Withdrawal Bill was passed, which was a fantastic opportunity to watch history being made,” said Dan. “I have made lots of great connections and many new friends from all over the country.” George also referred to the “amazing networking opportunity” and the chance to meet people with expertise in different areas of agriculture – while both of them remembered the Lord Mayor’s Show, when the group travelled through the centre of London accompanied by a tractor. George works at Cheverton Farm on the Isle of Wight for Andrew Hodgson,

> Young ambassadors group with Dan Wells and George Bliss far right

who has 1,200 breeding ewes and a herd of beef cattle, as well as running a contracting business. Dan, who manages the dairy herd at the Heaselands Estate, so enjoyed his role as a young ambassador for the NFU that he now sits on the South East Dairy Board. “I have been inspired to get more involved and try to play my part in the future of the industry,” he commented. George added: “What was particularly fascinating was being able to see behind the scenes at the NFU and gain more of an understanding of the work they do for the industry. It’s also clear that they are determined to involve young people more and make the organisation more relevant to them.” The NFU is now searching for young people from across England and Wales to take the programme forward for the coming year. The organisation is looking for eight to 12 young people who are “passionate about farming and rural life” and want to enjoy experiences similar to those George and Dan enjoyed.

REPLACE ‘NEONICS’ CALL The NFU wants DEFRA to support oilseed rape growers by stepping up the search for an alternative to neonicotinoid seed dressings and supporting farmers in the meantime. It is concerned that the ban on ‘neonics’ and the problems now being caused by cabbage stem flea beetle infestations is leading to a crisis in the industry, with farmers struggling to grow the crop successfully. NFU combinable crops board chairman Matt Culley said that in response to the coronavirus pandemic British farmers were “doing all they can to get on with the day job and keep shelves and fridges full,” but added: “I’m hearing from oilseed rape growers across the country that the risk of losing the crop is becoming too great, and many plan to stop planting it at all. “Without government support, we could see domestic production dry up, which would leave us with no choice but to import these products from other countries – countries which may still be using the very neonics which are banned here. “A more joined up approach from DEFRA and the farming industry is needed if we are to find a way to protect the future of OSR, and more specifically, to protect it from cabbage stem flea beetle. “In his first address as Prime Minister, Boris Johnson highlighted that the government would support and encourage the development of new plant breeding techniques, which would be a significant step forward for farmers in building

resilience into their crops. “Farmers need to know that short-term financial support will be available to mitigate the risks of growing oilseed rape, but it is absolutely crucial that a long term, sustainable solution is found as quickly as possible and the government needs to put as much resource as can be spared into finding it.” NFU President Minette Batters has written to Farming Minister Victoria Prentis reiterating the significant risks of growing oilseed rape and outlining how government can support farmers in both the short and long term. Meanwhile seed breeders DSV and Openfield have launched a joint initiative to provide oilseed rape

> Sarah Hawthorne

JUNE 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

growers with 20% more seed in 2020 without having to pay extra for it. The initiative is designed to allow growers to drill at higher rates to help counteract the threat of flea beetle, explained DSV’s Sarah Hawthorne, who said bags of the Darling variety sold through Openfield would contain 1.8 million seeds rather than 1.5 million, allowing growers to drill at 60 seeds/m2 rather than 50. It follows a similar move by plant breeder KWS, which recently introduced a 50:50 oilseed rape risk mitigation scheme under which growers will only pay half of the usual costs associated with certified seed if the crop fails to establish in autumn 2020.

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Although a slump in demand for wool looks set to make this a disappointing year for sheep farmers, British Wool has stressed that it remains open for business and will be collecting and receiving wool as usual. A briefing from the farmer-owned agency confirmed: “The global cross bred wool market slowed significantly in February and then shut completely at the beginning of March and remains closed. February to May is normally the busiest selling period of the year and, as a result, British Wool has circa 7m kgs extra of unsold 2019 clip wool on top of the circa 3m kgs that we would normally be carrying at this time of year.” It added that despite the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, “depots and collection sites are ready to start receiving wool from producers – which, given the circumstances, is quite an achievement”. British Wool has also reassured farmers that it will be paying all producers their balance for last season’s wool clip as normal, with the payment level announced as always at the end of May. British Wool CEO Joe Farren said: “The severe, hopefully short-term, drop in demand for wool products, coupled with the huge global overhang in crossbred wool stocks from the 2019 season, is likely to severely affect prices for the next 12 to 18 months.” Adding that “finding new demand for our wool in China at attractive prices will be a key driver of the early stages of recovery in British Wool prices,” he stressed: “Wool producers can be assured that British Wool will be at the forefront of leading the growth and renewal of wool values, but this will take time. We will emerge stronger from this period, in particular because our China based product development strategy will be further advanced and helping to pull prices up out of the trough.”

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NEWS

A “PERFECT STORM”

Cheesemakers across the South East have been quick to shift their focus in a bid to protect their livelihoods, but have not found it easy. Many have switched to home deliveries or selling through local farm shops, but the extra time involved has made juggling farming with cheesemaking and fulfilling orders a tricky task against a background of unpaid milk bills and slashed order books. Robin Betts, from Winterdale Shaw Cheesemakers, based at Wrotham, near Sevenoaks in Kent, described the coronavirus-inspired crisis as a “perfect storm” that had seen the collapse of the food service market at the same time as milk buyers had been forced to cut production, delay payments and reduce prices. Robin, who runs the cheese side of the business with wife Carla while brother Nigel and sister-in-law Fay look after the milking, said that on the first Sunday after the enforced closure of restaurants and cafes he had been forced to ditch 3,500 litres of milk when he was given two hours’ notice that it would not be collected. Since then the company has switched to selling its Winterdale Shaw cheddar through the farm shop, which now opens daily instead of only on Saturday mornings and has been dealing with orders from farmers’ markets. But it takes time. “I used to just put a wheel of Winterdale in the back of the van. Now I have to cut it into scores of different pieces, pack it and send it off to individual customers,” he said. “It’s OK to talk about switching our focus, but it’s not quite as easy as that when you are also trying to juggle farming and cheesemaking. Local people have been amazingly supportive, though, and we are managing to keep our heads above water.” Robin, who pointed out the irony of the fact that the company had deliberately only targeted London outlets because Winterdale Shaw is carbon neutral and he wanted to keep food miles as low as possible, said (in early May) that he had just received the balance of February’s milk payment. When the long-awaited March and April payments do arrive, they will be based on reduced rates. The farm uses about a third to a half of its milk to make cheese but sells the rest through Freshways. “We thought we were doing the right thing by diversifying into specialist cheese, but we didn’t anticipate the whole of London being closed down by Covid-19,” he said. “Most of our cheese is now still in the cave but we are selling some locally and doing our best to come up with new products, including butter.”

> Robin Betts

The farm has also been able to access government support because the cheesemaking side of the business is rateable. “We are lucky in that respect,” he said. For Mark Hardy at High Weald Dairy, near Haywards Heath in West Sussex, the story has been more positive after the business quickly shifted its focus to home deliveries and farm shop sales. “Most specialist cheeses are sold to the food service industry, delicatessens and supermarket cheese counters, most of which closed overnight, giving cheesemakers a real problem,” he said. “About a third of our cheese normally goes to food service but we have managed to claw much of that back by increasing our home deliveries and supplying farm shops. Our online sales have been like Christmas and we are also fulfilling orders taken through other shops. Dairies that only supplied the wholesale market have had a much tougher time of it.” High Weald Dairy, which has been based at Tremains Farm, Horsted Keynes, since 2003, makes both hard and soft cheese, using 60% cows’ milk, 30% sheep’s milk and the rest from goats’ milk. The farm has 300 head of cattle, mostly organic. Meanwhile the Specialist Cheesemakers Association (SCA), the Academy of Cheese and the Guild of Fine Food have joined forces in a bid to help the country’s cheesemakers through the crisis by urging the public to support what it described as a “previously thriving industry”. The initiative aims to raise awareness of the problems facing the industry and help shoppers

JUNE 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

connect with local cheesemakers and independent retailers by providing online directories of companies that can deliver or are safely open for business. It included a British Cheese Weekender event over the Early May Bank Holiday weekend (8-10 May), when people were encouraged to enjoy the country's best cheeses with a series of free, online tastings. Tracey Colley, director of the Academy of Cheese explained: “We held a series of virtual masterclasses over the weekend, hosted by top cheese experts, so that people could tune in and learn more about cheese as they tasted along at home. We covered topics from how to be a cheese judge to drinks pairings and storage tips.” The sponsors of the initiative said cheesemakers were “being forced to pour thousands of litres of milk down the drain and give away cheese for free after many lost up to 90% of their business overnight when the hospitality sector was closed down. Catherine Mead, chair of the SCA, said: “The future of Britain's farmhouse and specialist cheesemakers is in the balance - we could see many of the country's best cheeses lost for ever as family farms and small cheesemaking businesses are pushed to the wall.” She added: “The good news is that it's never been easier to buy good cheese, either online or direct. The specialist cheese industry has mobilised almost overnight, often teaming up with other small food producers, to get good food to people in their local areas.”

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MONICA AKEHURST AT THE KITCHEN TABLE

> Angus chairing table talk time

> Bottle fed from the rack

> It’s fun, introducing Angus to shepherding

I MISS THE CHIT-CHAT

Bottles cascaded down, quick as lightning; one by one they leapt off the shelf crashing onto the sparkling ﬂoor. I only wanted four, which were cradled in my arms, impeding my reaction to stop the stampede of bottles. We had been on our way back from dropping sheep into market when I spotted the new shop, which looked empty and had plenty of space to park a trailer. My mission was to buy 500ml bottles, suitable for feeding lambs. On my entry the shop keepers had extended a warm welcome; they now rushed to my assistance. I apologised profusely, and they consoled me by saying the shelving springs needed adjusting. Lucky the bottles weren’t made of glass. I’m not a keen shopper, I find it best to leave this to the youngsters who’ve been using click and collect recently. I jumped back into the truck

AND THE BANTER

> Brie on shrek

JUNE 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

feeling highly embarrassed; this was my first outing since lockdown. Perhaps it’s a good thing they don’t let me off farm very often. Once home, I wiped over the bottles and distributed them to the ‘working from home’ office folk, with a suggestion to drink it before the midday lamb feed was due. Spring water at 99p was the best deal, crazy that people willingly pay more for this than milk.

> Hannah giving the boys tips about bottle feeding

>The rising moon

Taking animals into market to be sold under the present rules made me feel sad. My head knows the reasoning behind the restrictions, but it doesn’t seem right not be involved in the process of unloading, sorting and weighing, and to be unable to attend the auction. I miss the chit-chat and the banter; market plays an important social role within the rural community. Nobody wants to risk getting Covid-19, but driving away from market, without interaction and with no vendor input, seems strange. Lambing has been a marvellous distraction from the world around us. The weather has been ideal. I’m glad that we didn’t scan this year, because I would have panicked about the number of triplets. No ewes have been turned out as triplets, which has meant a lot of fostering. Inevitably these are not always successful, resulting in growing numbers of hand-reared lambs. While no vet students are available, we’ve benefited from having many family members in residence. I’ve not had to worry about cooking or house keeping. It’s been great to have the grandchildren around, too. Five month-old Angus beams smiles from his vantage point in the buggy, while he watches us working with sheep. His mother has been struggling to persuade him to feed from a bottle so I suggested Angus learn from my bottle lambs. One of my failed foster lambs was also proving difficult to convert to drinking from a bottle. I had rescued him from the field where I found him trying to nick, he looked hunched up and was clearly hungry. He steadfastly refused to suck milk from a bottle until I tried the deception method. I suspended a bottle under a ewe, and covered her teat; only then did he suck the bottle milk with great gusto because he perceived the milk to be coming from the ewe. I named him ‘Tricky’ and now he’s one of the first up to the bottle rack. In the field we noticed another mother with her foster lamb sticking close by but missing her own lamb. We searched everywhere with no joy and came to the conclusion that it must have been taken by a predator. Just as we were leaving, we saw a lamb being bunted away by another ewe, and it was the very lamb we were looking for. Catching it, though, proved difficult; it slipped through the crook and evaded Nigel’s rugby tackle. Suddenly we were joined by Brie, who had been observing our antics from Shrek (ATV), which is where she knows to stay until commanded otherwise. I hadn’t thought to ask for her help but she sailed in and caught the correct lamb and held it until we got there. Needless to say, Brie was our hero, and she knew it! Extra cuddles and rations that day. The ewe was delighted to be reunited with her lamb and has been more vigilant since. Like humans, ewes adopt many different approaches to parenting. Some ewes are over anxious and incredibly protective, while others have a ‘live and let live’ approach. In the early days the latter can be an expensive mistake when predators are looking for a tasty meal. We’ve had problems with one particularly brazen fox, who was seen pestering the lambs and then switched to chicken on the menu. Yesterday at 2pm, a desk worker during a conference call spotted the little tyke advancing on my chickens and raised the alarm. I was closeted in the annexe, along with my moral support and inspiration brigade (the

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> Wild Garlic, looks, smells and tastes good dogs), writing this column. Pandemonium ensued, shouting and barking as we chased off the intruder. Sadly we were too late to save them all. We scouted around the farm collecting up chickens who were enjoying their usual freedom and placed them within the safety of the chicken house. They won’t be impressed to be deep litter hens for now, but we need to preserve our egg producers; after all cake is important. Must keep the boss happy, we need him to shoot the fox. Such a pity we can’t shoot the virus. Covid-19 is disrupting everyone’s lives and crashing the world’s economy. These are extraordinarily challenging times. In the face of adversity I applaud the revival of community spirit, and kindness. We should emphasise the positives in life. Increased focus on buying locally produced food is good. I get annoyed by the TV presenters’ attitude, especially when they interrogate those who are bearing the responsibility of steering our country through this uncharted territory. No one has all the answers. The slogan STAY ALERT has been criticised, although it’s appropriate on our farm regarding foxes.

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LETTERS TAKING ISSUE Dear Editor, I do have to take issue with Nick Adames’ column. Although I agree with his opinion of Chris Packham, especially after last year’s fiasco over general licences which really only caused a lot of unnecessary paperwork and costs for DEFRA, you can’t just go deciding you like jackdaws and not jays or magpies because they happen to eat the small birds that you like more. Birds that exist in abnormally high numbers because they eat the crops that we grow all over the place become vermin and need to be controlled. But predators that eat smaller prey have always been part of the natural system unless there are facts and figures to show they are in abnormally high numbers because of something we have done. Otherwise you become no different from the person who shoots hen harriers or poisons ospreys and golden eagles. Magpies and jays used to be in abnormally low numbers because gamekeepers spent a lot of time shooting them. I am not an advocate of protecting magpies and jays but personally no longer shoot them as I can’t find a legitimate reason to. I have barn owls nesting in my barn. It’s fortunate I don’t like mice much. J HENSLOW. MIDHURST, WEST SUSSEX

FALLING INTO THE SAME TRAP

Dear Editor, In supporting Chris Packham’s campaign to get Jackdaw shooting banned (“What utter madness”, May 2020), Nick Adames falls into the same trap of which he complains. Nick says: “it appears that he [Chris Packham] and his associates have come to the decision that jackdaws should not be shot, with which I imagine most of us concur”. Because Nick is unaware of issues with jackdaws, he presumes that they are not a problem, so is quite happy that Packham gets this banned. Clearly he has never been near an outdoor pig unit where, given the chance, jackdaws hoover up pig pellets in squadrons. Without lethal control they reach plague proportions. I know of no shooter who just goes out into the countryside and blasts away at anything within range. I control jackdaws because I need to. I have no wish to see them extinct, nor the time to control them beyond what is needed to get manageable numbers to allow me to continue with pigs. For Nick to decide that jackdaws are fine and then complain about Chris Packham doing the same with species that Nick does have knowledge of is, as the title of his piece, says: “Utter madness”. ROBIN WILSON, ROTHERFIELD, EAST SUSSEX

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SEF’S SUPPORT RECOGNISED Thank you for allowing us to have a voice and sharing this. Well done for a great article. NEWS TINA AND CLIVE The partner of a West Sussex dairy farmer who has already been forced to dump 15,000 litres of milk and is “fed up with being at the bottom of the pile” put some of that unwanted milk to good use – by bathing in it. Tina Finch, of Burchetts Farm in Wisborough Green, near Billingshurst in West Sussex, commented: “It was going to be thrown away so I decided I might as well bathe in it – and it was lovely. My skin was beautifully soft afterwards.” Tina, who said the public “needs to see how badly milk is being undervalued”, said partner Clive Stickland, whose family has been farming the land since 1935, always in the dairy industry, was struggling to cope with the pressure caused by the huge downturn in demand for milk. “It is heartbreaking for me and for all the other partners and family members of dairy farmers to watch farmers struggling with working such long hours and with such dedication to their animals and their product only to pour it down the drain. “We are barely being paid for our milk,” she went on. “We have dumped over 15,000 litres to date, which, in this time of enormous crisis, we should not be doing. Day to day we haemorrhage money to keep running a family business of high yielding cows and first class animal husbandry. For how much longer? We need government help and a fair milk price. The nation needs milk just as it needs petrol.” Partner Clive said he was proud of Tina but also proud of Britain’s dairy farmers, who were being “paid a pittance” and were increasingly “the ones at the bottom who get a kicking”. Photo ©Forestry Commission While the coronavirus crisis has brought its own pressures, with collections being missed, milk thrown away, prices slashed and bills only partpaid at best, Clive said the problem went back well beyond the virus outbreak and its effect on the food service industry. “This has been going on for years,” he commented. “We are simply not paid enough for a vital product that virtually every household needs. We produce a first class product as well as looking after the countryside and livestock, and we need to be paid a sensible price for doing that. “It can’t be right that the average price we were paid last year was 24p a litre and the price in the shop was around 90p a litre. The government must step in and say this country can’t allow a product, that every household needs, to leave the producer so far out of pocket. The industry needs a serious shake up and a sensible price for its 8,200 dairy farmers. Clive said he had received very little cash in

“I MIGHT AS WELL

BATHE IN IT”

BRACE YOURSELVES

Dear Editor, February, while the March payment was described “We can’t furlough our cows and we need Tina as “a tiny fraction of what wewere should havereporting the Governmentthat to acknowledge we need help.across At the end of March, variousbyreceived media outlets farmers and not enough to cover even half the We can’t just produce less milk. We have a high wages”. He is due to be paid a fraction of the performance herd and Clive has worked hard to get the country had called for anormal ‘land army of employees’ to help pick the harvest rate for the milk that hasn’t been thrown them where they are; you can’t just cut production away and can only hope that the buyers are able when you have spent your life nurturing your of fresh fruit and vegetablesto meet across British farms picked bycaneastern their promise to make up the shortfall at usually livestock with the best care you give them.” some point in the future. Kent farmers have also been forced to throw “Bathing in it to raise awareness was a brilliant milkpeople away, with Peter Forknall, of Pleasant Farm, Europeans. The coronavirusidea,” pandemic has left many twiddling their he said. “We aren’t being paid for the milk Chart Sutton near Maidstone spreading 10,000 so that was a good use for it. We are dumping milk on his fields as the crisis struck. He is already thumbs while either losing their job or not attendinglitres university during the and at the same time there is a shortage in the seriously considering his future and has sold supermarkets. It doesn’t make sense. We want to milkers that he is not planning to replace. “If you coming months. support the general public with food and look after aren’t making any money, there’s no point in doing the countryside, but we need an income to allow it,” he commented. us to do that.” and Karen Reynolds, who own and run The Alliance of Ethical Labour Providers said it hadSteve received 36,000 Tina added: “We have been together 23 years Kingcott Dairy at Iden Manor Farm, Staplehurst and Clive and other farmers have always struggled and keep 100 head of pedigree Holstein Friesian applications of interest, stilltoshort of the estimated 80,000 needed, but that only get a fair milk price. Now they are being paid and Viking Reds, faced the same problem when barely nothing at all and are throwing milk away. milk was not collected. It had been destined for 6,000 had opted for an interview. Environment Secretary George Eustice said: It’s heartbreaking to watch and the Government Freshways, the company that has been hit hardest doesn’t seem to want to help. We are on a knife by the lockdown-inspired contraction in the food edge. service sector.and make sure our “We need to mobilise the British workforce to fill that gap excellent fruit and vegetables are on people’s plates.” Wills and estate administration Supporting the ruralhas community for over 235bought years One flight already 150 pickers from eastern Europe to Stansted airport. This will be followed by another five arrivals with pickers who have the WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | MAY 2020 correct skills and mindset for doing this monotonous job, a job which a majority of our population will simply not do. If people thought the Government was struggling to deal with Covid-19 and the lack of PPE, they best brace themselves for when food imports simply dry up due to other countries keeping their food for themselves. Fresh fruit and vegetable aisles at supermarkets will become ghost aisles as the British farms have to plough in vegetables while fruit is left to rot on trees simply because our uninspired population failed in a national emergency, possibly leading to a global emergency to fill our stomachs. HARRY MOULAND, SITTINGBOURNE, KENT Editor’s observation: Two of my student sons are currently not attending university, but far from ‘twiddling their thumbs’ they are revising for the inevitable exams and writing still-required essays. www.whitehead-monckton.co.uk

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23/04/2020 16:38

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GUIDANCE PUBLISHED Dear Editor, At the AHDB we recognise that dairy farmers are all affected in different ways from the coronavirus outbreak. To minimise any impact, you may need to adjust your business operations – whether that’s cutting costs, handling cash-flow issues or making management changes to your day to day operations. AHDB has published guidance on its website to give you the latest on managing the financial impact or making technical changes such as lowering production. You can find it at ahdb.org.uk/coronavirusdairy In addition, AHDB is delivering events online wherever possible and producing the latest ‘bite-sized’ market information via video, webinars and podcasts. You may also have read that we are working with Dairy UK and UK Governments to deliver a £1 million promotional campaign to drive consumption of milk and dairy. IZAK VAN HEERDEN, KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE SENIOR MANAGER, AGRICULTURE & HORTICULTURE DEVELOPMENT BOARD Editor’s note: We cover the promotional campaign on Page 50

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100% Farm Vets OBITUARY: ROBERT LANGRISH JUNE 1949-APRIL 2020

Robert Langrish, farmer, ‘odd-job boy’ and rural raconteur, of Pickney Bush Farm near Newchurch, passed away on April 23 after a long battle with cancer. The son of a Sussex farmer, Robert started farming with the family at Beckley, near Rye, having attended Plumpton Agricultural College in the late 1960s. “He was always mechanically minded and drove a number of very fast cars,” remembered brother Frank. One such car was a brand new RS1600. That particular year, Rye Young Farmers reached the finals of the YF Bowling Tournament, held in Manchester. “Robert drove us there,” said Frank. “After that, for some reason we decided to go to Newcastle, via Carlisle on the new M6 motorway. It would be about 117 miles. We did it in an hour.” He first met future wife, Helen, at a local Young Farmers horse show. “He was chatting to my mum by the lorry when I returned from the ring. When he found out I could drive a lorry, I think I scored an extra 50 points,” said Helen. They married in 1978 and Robert moved to Helen’s family farm at Pickney Bush, on Romney Marsh. Summer would see Robert driving to county and agricultural shows, at which Helen was a successful show rider and their pedigree Romney Sheep would come away with handfuls of red rosettes. Having hunted from an early age, he joined the East Kent Hunt after moving to Pickney Bush. Robert is survived by wife Helen, son James and daughter Claire.

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LEGAL DIARY

PARENTAL

VISITS

DURING LOCKDOWN

Coronavirus: Can a child leave their home for the purposes of contact with another parent? There are many separated families who will have concerns relating to a child being able to move between homes of separated parents in light of the ‘stay at home’ rules. Some separated families may have informal arrangements between them as to when their child spends time with each parent. Others may have a court order in place.

Will the ‘stay at home’ rules prevent a child spending time with their parent under a current agreement or court order? Each of us has been confined to our homes during this outbreak, unless absolutely necessary. The Government provided some exceptions, for example, a medical need or to buy essential groceries and medicines. Recently the Government announced some further plans to lift the lockdown, including allowing those who cannot work from home to return to work, and we can leave our homes for an unlimited amount of exercise. We can also see one person from another household in an outdoor space. On 24 March the Government also permitted children to leave their homes to move from one parent’s home to another. Michael Gove, cabinet minister, clarified that children under the age of 18 can leave their homes to go to the other parent’s home. This clarity will come as a great relief to many separated parents, as it means that a child can still go to a non-resident parent’s home and they may continue to spend time together. As long as it is safe to do so, the usual contact arrangements should continue. If there is a Court Order in place, can parents agree to change arrangements? If there is a need to change the arrangements, and there is a Court Order in place, we have received guidance from the President of the Family Division to state that the order can be changed, if both parties agree. Ideally, that agreed change should be recorded in writing. What if parents cannot agree? In these extremely difficult times, one parent may not feel that it is safe for the child to leave the home. For example, if there is a vulnerable person within the household. If the other parent does not agree, the court will consider whether changing the terms of the current Court Order was reasonable. The welfare of the child is paramount and, therefore, if circumstances do need to change in light of this emergency situation, it is hoped that this can be agreed between the co-parents. If one parent were to become ill, or they themselves are vulnerable, it may be that the child, during this time, lives with the non-resident parent and the Court Order could be varied by agreement.

JUNE 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

What is happening at the Family Court to ensure that hearings in relation to children are still going ahead? The judges and court staff are working tirelessly in order to ensure that families who need the court’s assistance are still able to access it. Bundles of papers which are usually sent to court as hard copies are now accepted as electronic copies. Hearings can proceed using methods such as telephone calls, Skype and emails. This is a new way of working and court staff, solicitors and families will need to work together. Are there any other exceptions to the ‘stay at home’ rules which may affect some families? The Government has also allowed a further exception in relation to a person who may be subject to domestic violence. No person may leave his or her home without a reasonable excuse, and a reasonable excuse is to avoid injury or illness, or to escape the risk of harm. Therefore, if someone is at risk of suffering domestic abuse, they are able to leave their home without fear of breaching the rules. We shall keep considering any further guidance which the Government issues in relation to child arrangements. These pressures will be temporary and, once the restrictions are lifted, arrangements should return to those that were in place prior to the Covid-19 outbreak.

SARAH BRISSENDEN

Solicitor, Whitehead Monckton T: 01227 643276 E: sarahbrissenden@whitehead-monckton.co.uk www.whitehead-monckton.co.uk

WYN GRANT

Wyn Grant is Emeritus Professor of Politics at the University of Warwick and author of books and articles on agriculture including The Common Agricultural Policy.

BREXIT – SIX MONTHS

AND COUNTING

After a period when the media seemed to talk about nothing except Brexit, the focus has understandably shifted to the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit gets just an occasional mention. Despite the interruption to normal government business brought about by the pandemic, the Government is insistent that it does not want to extend the transition period, a decision it would have to take by the end of June. It is evident from the rather limited exchanges that have already taken place with the EU that there are a number of areas of difficulty, not least over fisheries. The Government wants to assert Britain’s status as an independent coastal state while the EU wants the continuation of existing access for fishing fleets for its member states. Even without the distraction provided by the pandemic, there was not a lot of time to resolve this and other complex and contentious issues. It seems likely that it will not be possible to have an agreement with the EU in place by the end of the year and this would present farming with a number of challenges at a time when changing patterns of demand for produce have already caused serious problems, not least for the dairy sector. Under a no deal scenario, tariffs would apply to UK food exports. Fresh lamb carcase and barley exports are likely to feel the largest impact, given that the UK is a net exporter. The sector facing the most challenges in a ‘no deal’ scenario is sheep meat. Tariffs under a no deal Brexit would make exports uncompetitive. The sector is very reliant on exports to the EU, which take around 40% of its output. There is concern about the terms of free trade agreements with third countries (the focus is often on the US, but there are problems elsewhere). Agriculture may be sacrificed for gains in other areas of the economy, given that cheap food is always attractive to governments, even more so when the economy has taken a hit. There is concern about price competition from countries with lower standards, for example on animal welfare. A no deal Brexit would wipe £850m off the farming industry's bottom line, according to research from farm business consultant Andersons. A ‘deal’ scenario would see a 3% fall in profitability as against 18% for a no deal scenario. This would be at a time when the basic payment, which for many businesses represents the difference between a profit and a loss, was starting to be reduced. Like all industry averages, there is significant variation within the overall estimate. For instance, where output is concerned, substantial declines are forecast for sheepmeat (-31%), while output for cereals, milk and beef production are also down. Some increases are projected for horticulture and intensive livestock (pigs and poultry) provided there is sufficient labour

With just six months to go before the UK is due to leave the European Union, agriculture specialist Wyn Grant writes exclusively for South East Farmer.

Agriculture is one of the industries that is bucking the trend and helping to keep the economy going, according to a report into the impact of the coronavirus lockdown in the South East. The UK Powerhouse report produced by Irwin Mitchell and the Centre for Economic and Business Research in early May estimated that Gross Value

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available for undertaking operations. As always, the message for the individual farm business is to do all you can to maximise efficiency and resilience in the face of uncertainty.

BUCKING THE TREND Added – a measure of economic output – had fallen in the region by just under 35%, or £393m a day. While concluding that the UK economy was

losing £2.7 billion a day in absolute terms, the report said agriculture, forestry and fishing had remained strong, with a relatively low daily GVA fall of just 14%.

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | JUNE 2020

OUT AND ABOUT WITH NIGEL AKEHURST

FARMING COWS

IN HARMONY WITH NATURE

Court Lodge is owned and run by David and Marian Harding, who purchased the 424-acre farm on the edge of the Pevensey Levels in 1989. Starting out with 80 cows brought from David’s family farm in Bodle Street Green, they initially farmed the land conventionally but grew concerned about the environmental impact of the sprays required to grow arable crops. “We went into Countryside Stewardship in 1991, which was an opportunity to re-think how we did it,” said Marian. Gradually they returned the arable land to pasture as they increased the herd from 80 to 160 cows, while also searching for a conservation farming grade that reflected their own philosophy of farming in harmony with nature. In 1998 they decided to go organic and started selling their milk to the organic milk co-operative OMSCO in 2000. Inspired by some Dutch farming friends, Marian started a drinking yoghurt business.

FARMING BACKGROUND

Both David and Marian come from farming stock. David grew up at Hole farm, the family farm in Bodle Street Green, where he farmed in partnership with his mother and brother Charles. Marian studied land economy at university and while her parents weren’t farmers, her grandmother was. When the opportunity arose to buy Court Lodge from the Monnington family, the partnership was dissolved, with Charles retaining the land and David taking the 80 cows and quota to Court Lodge. “It was lovely to be able to stay in the same part of Sussex,” he said.

TRANSITION FROM CONVENTIONAL TO ORGANIC

When they took over the farm it was being run as a mixed enterprise of dairy and arable. David and Marian were horrified by the amount of sprays, particularly for black grass – which were

This month Nigel Akehurst visits Court Lodge Farm in Wartling, East Sussex, to find out more about their conservation-led approach to dairy farming and producing healthy drinking yoghurt.

also very expensive – required to grow arable crops on their marshland. “The Monningtons employed two full time tractor drivers, but as we didn’t have tractors or drivers we decided to move to working with contractors instead,” said David. As they gradually increased the size of the herd, they put in herbal leys to replace the arable crops. With a keen interest in improving the wildlife of the farm, they entered into countryside stewardship in 1991 and went organic in 1998. They started out with Organic Farmer and Growers – who were “very down to earth and farmer friendly” – and stayed with them for a few years. Then in 2001, after starting an organic yoghurt enterprise on the farm, they reluctantly switched certification to the Soil Association as “retailers like Waitrose wanted to see that logo on our packaging”. They’ve been with the Soil Association ever since, though at times have felt “uncomfortable” with their campaign messaging, which they feel has alienated

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COURT LODGE FARM, EAST SUSSEX their conventional farming friends in the past. Both David and Marian are keen naturalists and wildlife lovers and have seen a marked increase in bug and birdlife on the farm since converting their land to organic and farming more extensively. Most of the marshland on the farm is designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because it is home to rare species of flora and fauna. It is also a Ramsar Site – which recognises the “international importance of their freshwater ditches”. They also rent another 125 acres of adjoining SSSI nature reserve owned by the Sussex Wildlife Trust, where their young stock and dry cows are used for conservation grazing. “We see ourselves as farmers of wildlife as well as of cows,” said David. Though the cows earn their keep by producing around one million litres of organic milk. This is sold directly to Organic Milk Suppliers Co-operative (OMSCO), the UK’s largest organic co-operative, with 250 members producing more than 250 million litres of organic milk. They are one of only two OMSCO members in Sussex and really like being part of the co-operative, which has been quite successful in exporting cheddar cheese to America. Another 50,000 litres of their milk is turned into organic yoghurt, made on the farm and representing around a third of their annual turnover.

YOGHURT ENTERPRISE

The idea came about when they went organic, explained Marian. It turns out a lot of other dairy farmers also went organic at the same time, causing an oversupply in the market – which meant the price went down. “At the time we’d done a Eurolink exchange with some Dutch farmers. In Holland drinking yoghurt was everywhere. We wanted something with a quick return, we didn’t want to store cheese for a year, so drinking yoghurt fitted the bill,” said Marian. They also didn’t want to set up in competition with other local dairy farms, one of which did potted yoghurt. Marian went on a three-day yoghurt-

FARM FACTS • 424 acres owned – all the marshland on the levels is designated SSSI • 125 acres adjoining marsh land rented from the Sussex Wildlife Trust • A 160 closed herd of mainly British Friesians, Holsteins and some Ayrshires producing one million litres annually and sold to organic milk co-operative OMSCO. > David

and Marian in front of the parlour

making course at Reaseheath College which “was more suited to yoghurt manufacture rather than filling jugs by hand” she said. It did, however, give her some useful contacts and before long they’d bought a second hand pasteurising vat and a chiller from a maker of ewe’s milk cheese in Devon. With a small processing facility set up next to the dairy, they initially targeted farmers’ markets, which were thriving in London, though they did encounter some issues around the time of foot and mouth disease, which made it a bit ‘stop start’. Over time the emphasis has shifted from farmers’ markets to selling wholesale. “We probably did the markets at Borough and Pimlico in London for six to eight years, with help from the younger generation, but we ran out of students needing Saturday jobs as they got proper jobs. “We now sell wholesale to the Hooks and they are brilliant at selling it alongside their raw milk at farmers’ markets across London and more locally too,” said Marian. In addition, Court Lodge also sells their yoghurts to Abel & Cole, Farmdrop, Rowcliffe (which distributes to Waitrose) and High Weald Dairy. Marian tells me they are best known for their natural pouring yoghurt. “You can pour it on cereals and desserts, drink it from the bottle or use it in >> cooking or like regular yoghurt in a bowl with

R.POPOVIC & SON Agricultural Contractors • Round or Big Square baling and wrapping • Forage harvesting • Muck spreading

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• One full-time herd manager, a parttime herdsman and three part-time yoghurt makers • One Angus sweeper bull • Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship • Wholesale organic yoghurt business operating under the Court Lodge Organics brand representing around a third of annual turnover. • Branding refresh carried out in 2019 – rolling out new labelling this year • Trialing glass bottles for natural pouring yoghurt with Abel & Cole • 2½ acres of cricket bat willow woodland due to be harvested this year • Reed bed project - carried out in 2011 • Solar panels on dairy buildings • Holiday cottage – Moorhen cottage, a single-storey barn in the heart of the farmyard with stunning views over the Pevensey Levels • Small workshop units in old farmyard

Congratulations to

Est 1966 Cultivations, grass seeding etc All grassland and forest ride maintenance Complete or part operations All other associated work undertaken

We are pleased to be associated with Court Lodge Organics

on their fundamental care of the environment and the natural quality of their product range

e c o w o r k s Call Nick Popovic on 01323 832002 or 07889 177434

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Environmentally Sensitive Pond and Land Management

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OUT AND ABOUT WITH NIGEL AKEHURST

> Moving reeds with John Hayward

bed project carried out by Robins of Herstmonceux and John Haywood

> Reed

<< a spoon,” she said. Interestingly, unlike many supermarket yoghurts, Court Lodge organic yoghurt is live with probiotics and is completely natural. It’s not homogenised or standardised and it doesn’t contain any additives to thicken or emulsify it. They have received recognition for their products, winning a Great Taste award for their natural yoghurt in 2014. They also make a range of organic fruit yoghurt drinks which includes strawberry (which also won a great taste award in 2014), blackcurrant and Seville orange. In addition they launched a Labneh cheese in 2017 which won a Great Taste award the same year. Last year the couple embarked on a branding refresh that is now being rolled out across all their packaging. They’ve also been trialling a glass bottle for their natural yoghurt with Abel & Cole this year, which they believe will help drive sales, though Marian suggests that the research shows there is still some debate around whether or not using glass is more environmentally friendly than recyclable plastic, when weight and the heat requirements for recycling are taken into consideration. The company website is the main destination to find out more about the farm and the product range: www.courtlodgeorganics.co.uk. They are also active on Facebook with recipes and images of the landscape, wildlife and animals.

bed

JUNE 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

REED BED PROJECT

Further enhancing habitat for bugs and birdlife, in 2011 David and Marian turned one of their fields into a 10-acre reed bed. This project involved digging out four interconnected ponds and moving thousands of tonnes of soil with a large dumper truck. The project took around two months and was carried out by Robins of Herstmonceux together with John Hayward (Clarity Ecoworks), who drew up the plans with David, and was part funded by higher level stewardship funding. To get the reeds to grow they took existing reed rhizomes and spread them on the newly created site, a more cost effective method than putting in 10 acres of plug plants. The ponds refilled with natural rainwater in the winter and there were 20 pairs of lapwings nesting on the site before the reeds established themselves. They have had marsh harriers nesting in the main reed bed over the past nine years. To preserve the habitat the conservation volunteers organisation (TCV) comes every year to remove unwanted willows.

CHALLENGES AND SOME UNUSUAL PLANTS AND INVERTEBRATES

“The soil really missed the fertiliser the first few years after going organic, but farmyard manure puts a lot back in, and yields of grass and rotational

COURT LODGE FARM, EAST SUSSEX arable silage on the ‘top ground’ above the marsh have improved as the soil biology has adjusted,” commented Marian. “We also sprinkle on dirty water; normally we do it after first cut silage and that does help too,” said David. They also test the soil pH regularly and have been happy with the results, finding that they only need to lime the fields every 10 to 15 years. In future they plan to do more soil analysis to better understand their soil health and organic matter. One recurring issue is combating the weeds. “We’ve done everything from individually using a lazy dog to pull out docks and thistles, which is very hard work, to hosting a Young Farmers barbecue a few years ago. To earn their food we had them pulling out docks in a field that had been ploughed,” David said. “The cows will eat docks and nettles in silage but it can be an issue as they out compete the grass. We try to minimise it with cultivations, but we can’t spray.” They’ve also seen plant species, usually more at home beside the ditches, such as hart’s tongue fern and colourful things like ragged robin, knapweed and goatsbeard (Jack-go-to-bed-atnoon) spreading into their pastures. A more recent find was a green-winged orchid, growing near a hedgerow in one of their cow pastures, which

appears in the same spot every year. “The plants on the marsh are quite unusual. You tend to focus on birds – as it is what most people are interested in – but it’s the small things like bug life that are really important. It’s the same with soils; earthworms and all the small stuff tends to get ignored.” Graeme Lyons, the county Ecologist (at the time) visited and did a survey in 2013/14. He found some rare invertebrates in the reed bed and got very excited. These included the nationally scarce 13 spot ladybirds, pondweed leafhopper and the tortoise beetle, Cassia Nobilis. David also has a lifelong interest in moths, with the lime hawk moth being a particular favourite of his.

> 13

spot ladybird

> Leaﬂhoppers

NEW VENTURE

In the past couple of years David and Marian have been supplying milk to the Pevensey Cheese Company, a start-up venture by Martin and Hazel Tkalez who received LEADER funding to build a small cheese dairy at nearby Hockham Farm in Boreham Street. They have spent the past 12 months refining their cheese-making process and gaining all the various food and hygiene certificates they need to start selling their soft blue cheese to the public, which they hope to start doing in the next couple of months. >>

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OUT AND ABOUT WITH NIGEL AKEHURST << ON BREXIT “We were remainers really,” said David. “There’s more benefit to staying within Europe than leaving. “We didn’t have a strong nationalist feeling that we’d be better off on our own – without that strong inter-connectedness of the EU. In a sense I’m not sure whether the final outcome will be a similar continuation of trade which we would have had had we stayed in.” Marian continued: “I’ve never been that comfortable with a closer alliance with America – you can almost see France from here.” “There’s got to be strong ties with the EU – we just felt it was a huge amount of time, effort and expense getting out – obviously with this virus it’s

changed again,” suggested David.

ON COVID-19

“We feel so lucky that we have a milk contract and the tanker just takes it away. If you’re doing vegetables or flowers you’ve got to find pickers,” said David. “I also feel sorry for all the garden centres and nurseries – all those plants going to waste,” added Marian. They both feel that dairy farmers are better off than most, but it’s still a really difficult and worrying time. “In farming life goes on – we keep producing, people normally want to eat food; we’ve got a

JUNE 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

product that’s in demand, so we’ve got to carry on producing it. “I think it will change people’s priorities in life. If you can produce it and sell it locally it has to be better and more sustainable than bringing food in from miles abroad. Maybe it will make people think twice about vegan products. People might start growing food themselves and realise it’s not a piece of cake. If there’s any good to come out of it – maybe people will appreciate farmers and local food supply more,” suggested David.

LOCAL CLUSTER GROUPS

Marian and David are members of The Pevensey Levels Farmers Group, which is funded by the

COURT LODGE FARM, EAST SUSSEX Countryside Stewardship Facilitation Fund. Set up in January 2018 to run for three years, the group brings together more than 50 farmers to improve the natural environment at local level. There has been a series of talks ranging in topic from re-wilding by Sir Charles Burrell, of Knepp Estate, to liver fluke, by Nick Pile from Cliffe Vets. One topic identified early on by the members has been predator control. To this end they have been working with Richard Dann, of the Environment Agency, who has trapped 14 mink in the past six months, with the aim of reversing the decline in water voles. There is more about the group at www.pevenseyfarmers.co.uk. They are also members of the Prince’s Farm

Resilience Programme, which offers free business skills training to family farms across the UK. Of particular interest to them was the session on farm succession, a topic that many families avoid, but one that is important to discuss with the next generation. Find out more at www.princescountrysidefund.org.uk

STEPPING BACK AND THE FUTURE

With David and Marian both now in their sixties, they are slowing down and have started to step back from the day-to-day running of the farm and yoghurt business. This is thanks to their team, which has taken years to build. James Gwynne, their herd manager, is

taking on more responsibility on the farm, with the ex herd manager Simon Wicks supporting him. Sally Holding, their dairy manager, now runs the yoghurt side of things with Carolyn Band supporting her, along with their son Peter who does deliveries and his wife Jess who helps with yoghurt making. They are feeling quite positive with the new ELMS scheme coming in. “We don’t know exactly what it comprises but it should chime with our farm philosophy, we want to be involved in it and hopefully it will benefit the farm,” said David.

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ELVED PHILLIPS ARABLE NOTES

When you remember we used to transport our convicts to Australia, it is ironic that China has just effectively imposed a “penal servitude” tax on Australian barley imports, coupled with a “five years hard labour” imposition period. It is because of historic “anti-dumping” issues, coupled more recently with the Australian stance on the origins of the pandemic. This has excited the feed barley market in France, as they see themselves taking Australia’s seat at the Chinese import table. In my opinion it’s simply a re-routing of the world feed barley supply chain. It means that the Australian barley, which would have been going to China, will now head for Saudi Arabia instead. France, which has the right protocols on quality to be able to sell to China, will replace Australia. A further irony is that in China all sorts of creatures are eaten that we would not touch, yet a few seeds of sterile brome in a barley cargo would see it rejected there. Anyway, that should have left the traditional North African trade to Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia more open to the UK. Openfield, with its deep-water export facility at Portbury, has led the way in big boat exports to these countries, and will continue to do so. However, for the first time in living memory, Spain is forecast to produce over 11 million tonnes of barley. If you check out the close proximity of Gibraltar to the North African coast, you will see why Spain is now the main contender to supply North Africa. Actually, it’s a double-edged sword, because Spain is one of the UK’s best traditional customers for barley coasters. So ‘the rain in Spain really has made the grain’ this time. While all of this ‘re-routing’ has put a few extra pounds on the UK feed barley price, I don’t believe it will change the bigger world barley picture; there will be no increased demand, but probably more supply.

DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD In a year, subject to weather, when the UK is heading for a barley crop of seven and a half to eight million tonnes, I still think it would be better to put the feed barley, which you usually sell cheaply for as available movement, to the back of the barn and sell some early wheat or, if you have it, oilseed instead. Wheat will always have a ceiling of the minimum import price, whereas feed barley, especially between harvest and Christmas, has no bottom. In dollar terms our barley, because it’s cheapish, is competitive. So as long as we can ship several big boats, after harvest, by January or February 2021, we should be getting through our surplus. That is why I favour that period to bring your barley back to market. Also, and I hope I am wrong, you will probably be able to fit all of your wheat in the store, this year anyway. So better to sell something for cash or space, which at least makes you a margin, rather than harvest barley. Weak sterling has helped to improve all UK values old and new, touching an exchange rate of 89.5p against the Euro this week. This is mainly due to the renewed talk about the UK finally leaving the European Union on the 31 December, without an agreement on trade tariffs. Increased unemployment and other bad business news have also pushed the pound lower. With all the subsidies handed out by the Government because of the pandemic, there is little appetite – or money – for extending our European Union membership even for three months to March. So, I am now thinking ELVED PHILLIPS that we will be leaving on the 31 December. That will still prevent Openfield the UK from selling barley to the European Union for shipment after

IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF YOUR SOIL

December, without huge risk of large tariffs being imposed. This at a time when the UK may have two and a half to three million tonnes of exportable surplus! The latest USDA world supply and demand estimates show increases in wheat, maize and barley stocks at the end of June 2020, with Russia, India and China all holding on to more wheat stocks as nations are now concerned about food supply security. The combined world stock-to-use ratio is a very comfortable 37%. The maize crop in America is set for a huge rebound as last year’s “prevent plant” acres come back in. When they stopped driving cars in March the ethanol demand “fell off a cliff” and it’s only just starting to recover. But they use one-third of the US maize crop, about 140 million tonnes, making ethanol. This means there will be a huge amount of extra corn competing with feed wheat and barley. The UK has already purchased Canadian maize for September, which incidentally is levy free, and more will follow. This, and the minimum imported price of feed wheat, will still dictate your ex-farm feed wheat price, not how much you finally combine. Some say that the Northern Hemisphere crops are now developed enough to be safe from adverse weather. We have had good growing conditions of late but still need regular rain. Also, most of the problems are caused in Russia, Ukraine and around the Black Sea by summer drought in June and July, and they still need rain. You have good forward prices for feed wheat and excellent prices for milling wheat, if you are brave enough to sell. You probably have the best wheat prices in the world so if you are confident in your crop keep selling; and don’t forget with the biggest potential wheat planting we have ever seen this Autumn you should be selling some harvest 2021 now.

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STEPHEN CARR

WILL COVID-19 CHANGE ANYTHING?

As we recently celebrated the 75th anniversary of VE day under Covid-19 lockdown, I was reminded of what earlier generations of farmers used to say: “What British farmers need is a good war.” There is no such thing, of course, but what they meant was that an international crisis focused the British government’s attention on improving national food self-sufficiency. So, with the fight against Covid-19 now being described as a ‘war’, will one of the few benefits of this terrible pandemic be that, post-Brexit, the Government will have second thoughts about throwing our industry overboard as it seeks trade deals with the US and other potential trading partners? One would need to have farmed before 1940 to remember when British agriculture last had to make its own way in the world without government subsidy. Between the two world wars of the 20th century, home-grown food production was allowed to decline as British governments did what they had always done in peace time: ruined many farmers by opting for a cheap food, free-trade policy.

The period since 1945 has been unique in that we have continued to enjoy taxpayer support in relatively peaceful times. Successive British governments first delivered these policies, which were continued by the EU when we joined in 1973. With Brexit now looming, the government mood music regarding farming has been distinctly hostile. DEFRA has declared it will scrap all EU subsidies and many of its food import tariff s. So will Covid-19 change anything? The government is currently in the process of devising a National Food Strategy and its author, Henry Dimbleby, has recently said that it will have a renewed focus on food security because of the issues caused by the pandemic. His report, however, is not due to be published until a few days before Brexit. That timetable might slip because Dimbleby’s team has been redeployed to deal with Covid-19. On other fronts, the Government has made friendly noises about allowing migrant farm workers to travel to the UK after Brexit and a new Environmental Land Management Scheme is still

promised in a few years time, albeit with vague details. All this feels well short of the generous programmes that we have been used to ever since VE day. Only time will show if Covid-19 has changed British politicians’ views about whether or not they really now see agriculture as an important strategic industry. In the meantime, I intend to assume the worst and try to remember the grim tales of financial hardship told to me by my grandfather. Tales about what it took to survive as a British farmer without subsidies and tariff s – before 1939 changed everything.

STEPHEN CARR Arable farmer

STORAGE

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AGRONOMY

There are three or four key areas to look for when choosing an OSR variety, according to Hutchinsons technical support manager Neil Watson. “These are yield and oil percentage, disease resistance and standing power. There are obviously exceptions to this in specific areas such as where there are issues with clubroot or where Clearfield varieties can play a role in weed control for example. “TuYV is an increasingly prevalent issue in the UK; annual monitoring of TuYV infection in the UK’s oilseed rape crop has shown that 84% of non-TuYV resistant crops were infected in early spring 2019 - the highest levels ever recorded. In light of this, TuYV resistant varieties recorded some of the highest yields, proving the value of the genetic trait. “It is now possible to choose varieties with a stack of these traits – TuYV resistance, pod shatter resistance and RLM7 stem canker resitance – in order to protect top level yield. Robust disease resistance ratings are invaluable as these help to mitigate spray timings risk while also reducing our total reliance on chemistry.” Standing power is important for a variety to be successful on farm, particularly on fertile or exposed sites, he added. “Vigour is becoming increasingly valuable and talked about, as growers look for varieties that are

LOOKING AHEAD TO

OSR VARIETY CHOICE able to get up and away in the autumn and are also quick off the blocks in the spring.” On this basis, if you look at the top yielding varieties on the 2020/21 AHDB recommended list, it makes for an easy choice, adds David Bouch, Hutchinsons seed manager. “Fully loaded hybrid LG Aurelia, which sits across both the east/west and northern lists, offers an extremely high gross output and a full complement of genetic traits. It also offers the most robust disease resistance ratings of any variety on the AHDB Recommended List with a rating of 8 for both stem canker and light leaf spot resistance. “Dazzler is also a good option, sitting on the east/ west list with a similar set of traits. The candidate variety LG Aviron is a four trait variety, offering TuYV, pod shatter and RLM7 resistance and the new N-Flex trait, which allows the OSR plant to be more efficient in transforming N into yield. “If looking for a conventional, Campus is still the most widely grown conventional OSR variety and is

on the Recommended List as a control for both the north region and east/west region, demonstrating its consistency and suitability for the whole of the UK. “It has high ratings for lodging resistance and stiffness, as well as a disease resistance rating of 6 against light leaf spot. The variety is known as the ‘seed with speed’, establishing quickly in the autumn, and has more vigour than many hybrid varieties. “Acacia is the highest gross output conventional variety for the east/west and north regions, with a gross output of 109.5% and 107.6%, respectively. The variety is very vigorous in both the autumn and spring, combined with good disease resistance and short and stiff straw. Acacia is suited to the main OSR drilling window but is also useful in a late sown slot. “Where looking for a Clearfield option, CL Phoenix shows excellent autumn vigour with a good seed yield and a good disease resistance profile.”

DAVID BOUCH

National Seed Manager, Hutchinsons T: 07802 630107 E: david.bouch@hlhltd.co.uk Canterbury: 01227 830064 www.hlhltd.co.uk

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Still Stacks Up

Highest protein content of any Recommended Group 1 wheat Highest yielding Group 1 variety in 2019 Fully approved as a bread wheat for export Best combination of yellow rust and Septoria tritici resistance in the sector

CRUSOE

Reduce your risk and grow Crusoe as your Group 1 of choice @LGSeedsUK lgseeds.co.uk/crusoe

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ANITA HEAD ORGANISED CHAOS

SUCH A ROLLER COASTER

Well, what can I say. Lockdown has been such a roller coaster. “Shall we go out for supper?” we ask, pretending for a few seconds that we are discussing whether or not we should go to our local pub, our favourite treat, and have supper with friends. Of course, the question is really establishing if we should eat in the kitchen or outside in the garden. I’ve enjoyed so many aspects of it. The home schooling aspect has now formed part of our daily routine. The children are marvellous at sitting down by 8.10am to register and they have virtual lessons throughout the day. It’s an amazing sight to see all the children in their virtual classroom and I don’t believe lockdown has disrupted their education at all. The schools should be commended for the effort they have put in to ensuring the children do not suffer. No school run is really quite appealing and the extra time in the day is amazing. Who would have thought that we could accomplish so many jobs in a day? We have all had to adapt to a completely different lifestyle and I believe we have risen to the challenge admirably. Life has certainly been simpler, the distractions have been far less, no reps, no cold calling which in many aspects has meant less spending. We have all reflected on the pace of life that had become the normal to us, and I’m determined that when we are allowed “back out” we shall be very careful not to get sucked into the rat race again. The quality family time has been fantastic. Having said that, I do miss my family and friends immensely. Virtual evenings on Zoom/Messenger/Skype have become commonplace in our household. Pony club has been holding virtual quizzes and close family friends have had virtual dinners together. We have sat down together every single night to eat our dinner as a family. The basket in the kitchen is for all phones and we have a no device policy at the table. The only exclusion to this rule is you may answer the phone if the cows are out. We have been for lots of bike rides around the farm and we all count ourselves to be incredibly fortunate to live in the countryside where we have acres in which to play. I don’t believe we have had time to be bored. It’s been a huge team effort in all

areas of our life. The money that we’ve saved on diesel seems to have been spent on the weekly shopping bill. Who knew that boys eat so much? Three meals a day is never enough for them. The kitchen doesn’t seem to have any down time. Ted has become a feral child who doesn’t ever want to come inside unless bribed with watching You Tube clips on cattle loading in America. He can’t seem to grasp why the others are studying in their bedroom and he can’t interrupt. Zara’s ponies are as fit as they’ll ever be and are still hopeful to go eventing at some point this year. Fergus’ horse will hopefully be in foal. Although if I see another cake that the children have made, I may scream. I have huge admiration for all the key workers, especially the frontline workers. Shopkeepers, dustmen, pharmacists, taxi drivers, farmers, farm workers, tanker drivers etc – the list is endless, but they have all put their lives at risk on a daily basis for us to be able to function. We have certainly been the lucky ones at home or isolating in our tractors. The campaign to recruit 80,000 workers to pick fruit appeared to fail miserably. Britons are very quick to condemn farmers for employing foreign labour but it would appear they are not as quick to volunteer their services. I have recently read an article from a farmer that employed 50 furloughed British citizens to pick asparagus. He has seven left so far. The job description said that you needed to be fit and that it wasn’t like working in an office. You have to work outside in all weathers and need a good standard of manual dexterity. For this farmer in particular, his usual workforce of 150 people in picking season has diminished to 76; the majority of these are Romanians who were here before lockdown. Some crops will be left to rot on the field if they cannot find more staff. This is just the beginning of the picking season, berries and strawberries will follow shortly and the lack of capable labour will present an even bigger issue. The dairy industry would appear to be in the middle of its own crisis at the present time. Images of farmers dumping milk hit the headlines at the beginning of the month. Some dairy processors halted collections as the UK lockdown obliterated

JUNE 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

sales from the food service sector. The sight of fresh milk going to waste at the same time supermarket shelves sat bare struck a chord with many people. The two biggest buyers of organic milk in the UK, Pret a Manger and McDonalds, had also closed their doors. As devastatingly wasteful as this might be, dumping two days' worth of milk won’t bankrupt a farm, but a year of milk prices being well below cost of production may well. In many ways the pandemic has highlighted the deep cracks and shallow margins that have plagued the dairy industry for decades. Currently the ex-farm milk price for some farmers is lower than it was in 1995. This is despite 25 years of inflation pushing up the costs of many goods and services by about 70%. Supermarket price wars over time have consistently depressed the value placed on milk and at the same time the supply chain has consolidated with now 90% of milk processed and sold by just seven companies. This places the milk sector largely in the hands of milk processors and retailers. Such power in so few hands is bad news for the primary producer. As a processor, why would you pay 22ppl for milk off farm when you can buy it from the “spot market” delivered in for 5ppl. It must be tempting to have a convenient breakdown at the “factory” preventing any intake from farms. Following crisis talks with the Government and industry the environment secretary George Eustice has supposedly relaxed competition laws between processors to allow collaboration. This is a short-term measure; in the longer term the industry needs public shock at images of wasted milk to be converted into a willingness to pay more for food. I wish I had the answers to solve the issues the dairy industry continues to face. I do hope that all our readers stay safe and well. As the children keep saying: “See you on the other side.”

ANITA HEAD Farmer

AGRONOMY

CONSISTENT CRUSOE

STAYS TOP OF THE TABLE When margins are tight, growers have to keep a close eye on their costs of production. For those growing a Group 1 wheat, choosing the right variety can make a difference, says Keith Truett, NIAB’s regional agronomist for the South East. “Many growers are working to reduce their costs. This could be by moving to no-till operations, to keep labour and fuel costs down but also by optimising inputs. “Fertiliser is an important cost of growing and has become more so as yields have increased over the years. “The challenge of growing Group 1 wheats, which are principally aimed at bread-making, is the need to achieve a protein level of 13% to collect a bonus, as well as achieving high yields. “Finding a variety with the best uptake of nitrogen (N) and its conversion to protein is key. “Crusoe is ideal because it really exploits and makes the most of applied N. It consistently delivers the required protein level and quality for bread making, and also always yields well.” Keith drew attention to the possibility of sustainability based regulations, which are currently just beyond the horizon and which would entail keeping applications within certain parameters (such as 180kg/N/ha). As a result, wheat varieties able to make best use of nutrients (such as Crusoe) while achieving the high standards demanded by the sector would become even more important to growers. When Crusoe was launched in 2012, it set the standard for a new kind of milling wheat that offered very high yields with excellent grain quality, combining a stable high Hagberg and high specific weight, in addition to very good agronomic characteristics. Eight years later Crusoe is still well-placed in the 2020 AHDB RL table for Group 1 wheats, and is one of only two bread wheats approved for export – thanks to its proven, exceptional bread-making quality. “Short and relatively stiff-strawed, the variety has high resistance to yellow rust and a good resistance to Septoria tritici. A routine fungicide treatment applied for Septoria tritici control should also be sufficient to keep brown rust at bay,” said Keith.

In fact, in 2019 Crusoe was the highest yielding Group 1 wheat, demonstrating the variety’s robustness in what was a high disease pressure season. “You need to grow to its strengths, and those who know how to do so reap consistently good rewards.”

WHAT THE MILLERS SAY

A flour milled from a Group 1 wheat is usually going to be used to produce bread and risen dough products, such as buns and rolls. The typical specification for a Group 1 wheat is 13% protein, 76kg/hl specific weight and 250s Hagberg Falling Number (HFN). “Each characteristic is important for different reasons,” said Joe Brennan of the National Association of British and Irish Flour Millers (NABIM). While protein is needed for gluten quality and functionality, a high specific weight is necessary for protein quality and a good extraction rate and a high HFN is needed to avoid quality issues with doughs, explained Joe, who looks after wheat supply chain and environmental issues. However, he pointed out, one of the challenges millers can encounter is that not all protein is the same. “The percentage we use is a general indicator of the quantity of protein, but it does not report the quality. When grain arrives at a mill, you cannot quickly test the protein quality and so we have to test the quantity, but you can have a crop with 13% protein that has poor gluten quality.” Consistency from a variety is really important for millers and processors, he emphasised. “Mills produce flour that is used to produce food at an industrial scale, and our customers expect consistent quality every time. “Having varieties that perform predictably across regions and seasons helps millers achieve this. “Crusoe consistently demonstrates good protein content and quality, as demanded for a Group 1 wheat. It also produces a breadcrumb structure that is fine and notably white. “Given Crusoe’s consistently good baking quality, it continues to be a popular variety with millers.”

KEITH TRUETT

NIAB’s regional agronomist for the South East

T: 01472 371471 E: enquiries@lgseeds.co.uk www.lgseeds.co.uk/crusoe

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NEWS

British and Irish growers could supply 100% of the mushrooms sold through the retail trade in this country, a leading producer has claimed. Noel Hegarty, commercial director of Monaghan Mushrooms, which grows at four sites in Ireland and four in the UK, including Thakeham Farm, near Pulborough in West Sussex, said relying on homegrown production would “close the loop” on what is already an impressively sustainable crop. He was responding to The Mushroom Miles Report, a document inspired by the Miles Better initiative, described as a partnership between farmers, sellers and growers aimed at helping consumers better understand the journey their food goes on from field to fork. The report points out that mushrooms • are cultivated on a base substrate made from agricultural and organic waste • are harvested within five to six weeks • play a vital role in recycling organic matter • produce a nutrient rich by-product - the used substrate – that is valued as a soil conditioner or peat replacement. “Mushrooms make good use of agricultural waste products to create a nutritious, vitaminrich, low calorie, fat-free food and then they give something back at the end of the process,” explained Noel. “It gives them one of the lowest carbon footprints of any food. “If we could go one step further and stop shipping mushrooms in from overseas, sometimes from more than 1,100 miles away, it would make them even more sustainable than they already are.” Figures in the Mushroom Miles Report show that while 75% of retail mushrooms are supplied from within what it calls “the green zone”, involving a

NOT MUSH ROOM

FOR IMPORTS

transit time of less than 12 hours and a journey of less than 400 miles, 12% of the market is sourced from “the red zone”. It adds: “Clocking up a significant 36hrs+ on the road, and travelling in excess of 1,100 miles, these mushrooms could inherently be less fresh and have a significantly higher carbon footprint than their locally produced counterparts. “UK and Irish mushroom growers give UK supermarkets the maximum shelf life as a result of their minimal food miles from farm to shelf. Shoppers benefit from the longer shelf life of recently picked, fresher and firmer mushrooms as they last longer in their fridge, and ultimately reduce the environmental impact and cost of food waste.” The report points to figures that suggest 81% of UK consumers make day-to-day decisions about the products they buy, the brands they support and the companies they work for based on sustainability and “responsible consumerism” and feels shoppers would respond to the chance to buy more local produce. “That would not be a challenge for the industry,” stressed Noel. “British and Irish producers have the capacity to produce 100% of the mushrooms

JUNE 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

sold through the retail trade in this country – and with such a sustainable food we should surely be doing our best to get the food miles as low as possible.” Monaghan mushrooms, a family-owned business set up by Ronnie Wilson in the 1980s, has seen some increased demand since the coronavirus epidemic as families have been forced to cook more meals at home, although shopping patterns have changed dramatically and are difficult to forecast. The company currently supplies around 1,250,000 kilos of mushrooms a week in the UK, predominantly to supermarkets, with Pulborough the home of its organic mushrooms. Noel estimated that supermarkets in this country sell around two-and-a-half million kilos of mushrooms each week. According to The Mushroom Bureau, the UK and Ireland produces around 134,000 tonnes of fresh mushrooms each year and has the capacity to grow. It points out: “100% self-sufficiency could be achieved as UK and Irish farms can grow 52 weeks of the year”. The 25% of mushrooms supplied from outside the green zone come mainly from Poland and the Netherlands.

NEWS

As a result of the current crisis, Viti-Culture has become an online virtual show for 2020. Grape Vine Events Ltd (GVE-Ltd), organisers of the event, have invested heavily in building their bespoke platform over recent weeks, which means that the successful annual event can be held this year rather than succumbing in the same way as so many other events and shows have. Hosted completely on the www.Viti-Culture.com website, visitors will be able to “visit” exhibitors on their individual stands. Each stand will be clearly branded and pre-populated with plenty of relevant and interesting material such as videos and will have the facility to host live chat. There will still be the full itinerary of high quality seminars throughout the day that visitors expect. Full joining instructions and timings will be publicised in advance so visitors won’t have to worry about missing anything. The live webinars will also give an opportunity for live Q&A’s on “Show Day”. Organisers GVE said they were "thrilled to announce that our headline seminar will be led by Richard Bampfield MW, who will be joined by Stephen Skelton MW and Matt Strugnell, vineyard manager at Ridgeview, to discuss the current and sometimes contentious issues facing the UK Wine Industry.” They continued: "In addition, we will be offering free space to vineyards to create their own virtual cellar

VITI-CULTURE LIVE!

door, especially useful for those who don’t have an online presence already and as a supporting outlet for those already established. As a visitor, what could be better than viewing the vast array of supplies and services available to viticulturists, attend high-level seminars and be able to view and shop at an array of UK vineyards virtual cellar doors all in one place?" Everything will remain in place until 31 December 2020, so visitors will be able to pop in until the end of the year. GVE added: "No other virtual show is offering such an extended platform - and we are proud to be able to support our industry to this extent through these uncharted times." GVE will also make the virtual event platform available to other event organisers who are looking to take their show online in a meaningful and professional way at a fraction of the cost of existing off-the-shelf products. “In these tricky times, it is as important as ever to maintain the communication throughout the industry. These are unprecedented times, of that there is no doubt. The wine industry is one that looks at probability and severity when writing business plans and risk assessments and is pre-programmed

to mitigate that risk. Resilience is our middle name. We do it all of the time, so we should be using that knowledge, shared experiences, opinions and advice to help everyone in our industry wherever and whenever we can. Viti-Culture LIVE 2020 is ideally placed to deliver that to every sector of the UK Wine Industry,” said Karen Wheeler, Director, GVE Ltd. "Viti-Culture provides a showcase for interested and prospective growers to speak to experts and find out more about any aspect of wine production. Whether you have an already established vineyard and winery, are looking to plant, or want to invest in your own production facilities, numerous exhibitors, from vineyard consultants to land agents, specialist machinery manufacturers and dealers, winery equipment suppliers, agronomists, brand and packaging specialists and professional service providers attend Viti-Culture to advise on every aspect of establishing and managing a vineyard, to producing, packaging and marketing the wines. "To our knowledge, there is no other event in the UK that provides a show-case b2b event where growers can access advice, supplies and services and have the opportunity to network together – all in one place."

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SUCCESSION PLANNING

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS BRINGS SUCCESSION PLANNING INTO FOCUS

The Covid-19 crisis is likely to prompt more conversations about succession than ever before. Mark Weaver of CLM considers why – and shares some tips on securing your farm or estate’s long-term future by making this potentially painful process happen smoothly and effectively.

The coronavirus crisis will result in big changes to rural businesses and has reminded us all, even if only at a subconscious level, of our own mortality. It’s also prompted a subject to be discussed in some farmhouses and estate offices which has been avoided for years or even decades – succession. Factor in the dramatic drop in income that many farms and estates were already facing with BPS support due to be phased out between 2021 and 2027, and there’s a preparedness to address the topic with a candour and urgency we’ve not witnessed before. Even in families where the subject has been systematically swerved, “What if...” conversations have been sparked. It’s understandable why many have been reluctant to broach this emotive topic. It can be hard to take one’s hands off the reins and no one wants to feel like they’re dispensable. As a consequence, succession has been frequently dubbed “the elephant in the room”, with surveys suggesting less than 40% of farms have detailed plans in place. In this volatile world, many farms and estates are focusing on the immediate future with good reason, but ultimately this could be futile without a succession strategy. There is a host of questions such a strategy needs to address. How can I or we pass on a business that’s viable, while being fair to all my children, even those who aren’t involved in it? What role will each member of the family play now and in future? How will the assets of the farm be owned? What’s the

40%

Less than 40% of farms have detailed plans in place

optimum time for me to take a step back? What do the next generation actually want to do? How can we give them enough responsibility initially to make a meaningful difference, without jeopardising the business if they make a wrong decision while they’re on a steep learning curve? Only when the answers to such questions are known can a plan be formulated that covers the long-term direction and structure of the farm or estate, the ownership of assets, the mix of enterprises, investments and pension provision, education and training and, critically, the tax position, so liability to inheritance tax and capital gains tax is minimised. Preparing for succession isn’t about squeezing out the older generation or undervaluing their contribution. Far from it. It’s about making sure

MARK WEAVER

Managing director, CLM T: 01892 770339 www.c-l-m.co.uk

JUNE 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

everybody is doing what they’re best at – and what they want to do – for the overall good of the business and everyone associated with it. The earlier the conversation is started, the easier it is to have and the more effective the decisions that can be taken will be, too. Getting it right and doing it in a timely fashion allows the more senior generation to step back, while allowing the younger generation to take on more responsibility at the time that’s right for them. The net result is a more profitable and resilient business that – whether it’s in family, corporate or trust ownership – is better placed to pass through the generations undamaged by taxes and is more enjoyable to be involved in. The current tax regime is extremely beneficial. The post-coronavirus tax bill will inevitably be higher and harder to navigate. A few simple ground rules make these conversations easier. Having an independent person in the room – be it a consultant, an accountant or even a trusted family friend – can help. Everyone around the table, meanwhile, has to be honest and constructive.

My role in these situations varies. Sometimes I’m asked merely to provide an objective, independent sense-check of the family’s own plans. On other occasions, I’m asked to help shape and steer the whole strategic direction, a process that can involve restructuring, asset sales and acquisitions, adding or letting go of enterprises, introducing diversifications and exploring refinancing. In these discussions, I’m very conscious that everyone should be heard and should feel comfortable saying what they think. Many farm and estate owners beginning the process feel like a weight has been lifted off their shoulders. I’ve been involved in farming all my life and a consultant for nearly 20 years and can count on the fingers of one hand the number of meetings when I wished I’d taken a tin hat! What’s crucial is that everyone understands their own aspirations. Being motivated by wanting to grow bumper crops of wheat or build a sporting estate of national renown are equally legitimate. Ditto prioritising biodiversity or making sure that you generate the funds to maintain your family home. Everyone, however, must understand all the pros and cons of the different options and appreciate how that fits within the jigsaw puzzle that is successful succession. Part of my role is

putting the different pieces of the puzzle together – basically, helping families and corporate clients truly understand what they want, giving them the options as to how best to achieve it, then making that happen. Succession planning is not actually about retiring or even dying – it’s about putting your business on the best possible long-term footing. It’s about creating a foundation that will serve your children and grandchildren well, and giving everyone a clarity of direction, a peace of mind and a new focus. It can reenergise a business. The Covid-19 crisis is quickening the rate of change that was already coming on farms and estates as a result of the replacement of BPS with the Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS). This means succession planning is more necessary now than ever. It also means that there’s never been a better time to do it than now, especially given the current tax landscape.

TOP TIPS for successful succession planning

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The sooner you start the better Be honest and open

Let the family contribute

Involve an independent professional as this will bring clarity and calmness This is an ongoing process, not a one-off conversation

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SUCCESSION PLANNING

SUCCESS AND SUCCESSION Fiscal life after lockdown: Nick Holmes looks at Chavereys’ Vision and how it might impact succession planning.

In every direction you turn, the rural economy appears to be faced with seismic change; from the Agriculture Bill to food security, from technology to trade, no single aspect of the sector appears certain. What’s more, the speed at which these shifts are likely to come will challenge even the most robust farming and landed businesses. Our sector is no stranger to reform. In the ten millennia since humans started farming, the practice has never stood still. Civilization has been led by the constant evolution and reform of the way we use our land. However, the last 200 years have seen the rate of change accelerate as globalisation and advances in technology have taken hold. Farms and estates have long benefited from generous Inheritance Tax reliefs, enabling fiscally efficient succession, generally in the form of little to no capital tax liability on gifts or on death. At least that has been the position for my working life. I have been saying for some time this was bound to change and it looks as if coronavirus is to be the catalyst for this to finally happen. It has become clear that the Government intends to spend its way out of the coronavirus pandemic, and into a new post-corona era. Politically this makes sense and frankly the Government has no choice. Having only just started reversing ten years of spending cuts, the new Conservative government can ill-afford to say ‘austerity is dead, long live austerity’. How then, do they intend to raise the tens of billions required to pay for furlough, a massive contraction in GDP and what I believe will be a continuing flow of support to prevent an outright economic depression. The answer is debt and taxes. Debt is a problem, because it was already factored into the Government’s plans. The most recent budget was set to send net debt to GDP to a level not seen since the 1960s. According to the Office for Budgetary Responsibility, coronavirus looks set to bump this ratio to over 100% and with every day that goes by this looks optimistic! To crystal ball gaze one must often look back to look forward. The last event to raise the UK debt/GDP ratio to over 100% was the Second World War.

In the aftermath Inheritance tax, then known as Estate Duty, was raised to 80%, and hit a peak of 85% in 1969. In times like this it is said governments move to the left and, let’s face it, this government was already heading somewhere left of ‘New Labour’. The Government must therefore fall back on fiscal policy to balance the books, and in history it

machine sold

CHAVEREYS Farms and Estates

is often slow moving wealth that bears the brunt of post-crisis taxation increases. This, the economists will tell you, is the fastest way to stimulate growth. Policies of this nature leave the highly illiquid land and property sector vulnerable. Put very simply the Government will need to find ways of extracting wealth from the wealthy and a simplification of IHT or perhaps a total policy reform are an inevitable

Energy and Resources

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Private Client

step. This means Agricultural and Business Reliefs becoming less valuable and or being replaced entirely. Perhaps we will also see cash-rich companies being taxed on excess cash reserves as has happened before. This comes at a time when farming and the rural economy have once again proved themselves invaluable in a time of national crisis. I fear government will ignore this fact. The question of succession has never been more complex. In amongst all the noise it can be difficult to fathom a long term strategic outlook and plan. Where do you start? When do you start? And how on earth do you structure your business and business

affairs to thrive and not just survive? Succession planning is a journey; you need professionals that understand the sector, understand your objectives and crucially that advise looking forward and not looking back. The real moral of this tale is that Covid-19 has accelerated many things. It has accelerated businesses automating and cutting surplus costs and staff. Unemployment was always going to rise and we were always going to see more of a state-funded population, Covid-19 will just speed this process up. It will accelerate the pace of change in the food chain, (more fruit and veg boxes) and

ultimately, we hope, place more focus on home grown production. It will accelerate fiscal change and ultimately this is a threat to our sector. All of you reading this should equally accelerate any plans that had been put on hold or on the ‘too difficult’ pile. Change is inevitable as are death and taxes. My mantra is simple, delay the first and minimise the second! For a copy of our full Post Lockdown Fiscal Vision Document and details on future webinars, send an email to subscriptions@chavereys.co.uk or call 01795 594 495.

“Don’t get bogged down with the wrong strategy...”

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COMPANIES HOUSE DELAYS

MAKE BUSINESS DEBT WORSE

Delays at Companies House are leaving businesses wishing to dissolve with growing and unnecessary debt, accountants, business and financial advisers Kreston Reeves have warned. Andrew Tate, Partner and Head of Restructuring at Kreston Reeves, explained: “Many companies have seen business disappear as a result of the coronavirus with little prospect of it returning and are taking the difficult decision to close, or dissolve, a company rather than go through formal insolvency procedures. “It is a relatively straightforward process, costing just £10 and the completion of form DS01 that is then sent to Companies House. Two months later the company will no longer legally exist. “But severe staff shortages at Companies House caused by the coronavirus and the Government’s lockdown measures, together with the decision by Companies House in April to introduce a three-month pause to the strike off process, has left companies unable dissolve, leaving them exposed to accumulating unnecessary expense and debt.

“It is particularly problematic for small businesses who cannot afford or do not need to go through formal insolvency proceedings. “The decision by Companies House was with good intention, recognising that business owners may not be able to file accounts on time – which, in normal times, leads to the striking off of a company. However, many decisions taken to cope with the virus have unintended consequences. “Businesses are facing delays of up to five months, leaving them exposed to additional rent, business rates and administration costs they can ill-afford. Creditors may not object to the dissolution of a business if its debts are small, but as they accumulate they may force companies into more formal insolvency procedures.”

Businesses that wish to close down need to take the following steps: • Announce plans to HMRC • Inform staff and comply with redundancy rules • Correctly account for any assets of the business. Andrew added: “Form DS01 will need to be sent to directors of the company, employees, pension fund trustees or managers, and creditors. Creditors can object to the dissolution of a company, pushing it into formal insolvency procedures, but if debt is small it is usually not worth the trouble. The longer it takes to dissolve a company the greater levels of debt it is likely to accumulate.”

INDUCTED INTO AN ELITE GROUP

Two lawyers from law firm Hewitsons’ agriculture and rural property team have been inducted into the Legal 500 Hall of Fame, placing them among an elite group of individuals at the top of their respective practice areas. The Legal 500 Hall of Fame, which launched in the UK in 2018, highlights those who receive ‘constant praise by their clients for continued excellence’. Membership is based on the long-term results of the prestigious Legal 500 directory, which ranks law firms, solicitors and other legal professionals annually. Those chosen must have been recommended by the Legal 500 as ‘leaders’ in their respective practice areas for at least eight of the past 10 years. From Hewitsons, those inducted in the Legal 500 Hall of Fame include partner Denise Wilkinson, who heads up the agriculture and rural property team, and consultant and long-standing former partner Charles Hewitson, also in the same team.

JUNE 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

LEGAL

SUCCESSION PLANNING DURING COVID-19 With restrictions easing and more of us looking ahead to life after lockdown, it is important not to forget matters closer to home. In terms of succession planning in the farming community, there are several things that you might want to consider.

WILLS

It is always advisable to review your Will at least every few years to ensure that it still reflects your wishes and any changes in circumstances since your Will was last reviewed. Your Will is also an important tool to help to mitigate Inheritance Tax. The importance of Wills in the farming community cannot be understated. You may have specific wishes for certain aspects of your business, or for the distribution and division of land on your death. Do not assume that because you may have orally told your family your wishes that these will be carried out. The only way to ensure that your intentions are carried out is by creating a legally binding Will. Even in the midst of a global pandemic, Wills must still be executed in accordance with the Wills Act 1837. Part of the requirements are that two witnesses must be present when you sign your Will. Even though we are now all encouraged to adhere to social distancing rules, the requirements have not been relaxed. Any deviation from the 1837 Act could result in the invalidity of an otherwise valid Will.

LASTING POWERS OF ATTORNEY

A registered lasting power of attorney (LPA) for property and financial affairs enables your attorneys to act on your behalf in respect of a variety of transactions including signing documents, negotiating commercial contracts, making investments and transferring land. If you do not have a registered LPA and you lose mental capacity, the court will decide who should make decisions about your business. This process is costly and time consuming and could delay not

only the day-to-day running of your business but also any ongoing transactions such as negotiating the purchase or sale of development land. Do not assume that a family member will automatically have the right to deal with your business matters if you are hospitalised or if you were to lose mental capacity. If you would prefer, a separate power of attorney may be created dealing specifically with business assets, so that the distinction between decisions regarding your private assets or accounts and those solely in respect of the business can be dealt with by different people.

PARTNERSHIP DOCUMENTATION

It is essential that you are aware of how your business would be affected if you were to be incapacitated or in the event of your death. A review of your businessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s partnership agreement will give you peace of mind, not only in ensuring that it is up-to-date and fit for purpose for the years ahead, but also so that if the worst were to happen your successor is named and can take over from you.

LIFETIME GIFTS

Making lifetime gifts can often be a tax efficient way of passing on your estate to the next generation. A gift made seven years before your death is treated as exempt for Inheritance Tax purposes on your death. Certain lifetime gifts may also qualify for agricultural property relief from Inheritance Tax. However, certain conditions apply to these gifts to

enable the full value of the relief to be claimed. You may consider that a specific asset, such as a parcel of land, will increase in value because of future development, for example. If so, it is important from a tax perspective to gift the land while the value is low, even if you do not think that you will survive the full seven-year period. This is because it is the value of the gift at the time it was made that is considered on your death, not the value that the asset went on to achieve. The value of the tax is also tapered after three years. Care should always be taken when making lifetime gifts as they may have unintended adverse Inheritance Tax consequences. For example, if a gift of land is made but you hold some of the land to harvest standing crop, this may constitute a gift with reservation of benefit and the value of the gift could be brought back into the value of your estate when you die. In the same way as a low asset value is important when taking into consideration lifetime gifts, the same is true of sales of assets. Capital Gains Tax is charged on the difference between the base cost and the sale value of certain assets (subject to any reliefs). If your investments have recently dropped in value, it may be prudent to sell while they are low in order to reduce your CGT bill. As ever, professional advice should always be sought to take into account all relevant factors including the effect of any gifts or sales on the taxation of your estate during your lifetime and beyond.

We appreciate that it may be difficult for you to discuss your needs with us during our usual opening hours, which is why we have extended our opening hours for Wills and LPA appointments. Please contact us to find out more.

CHRISTOPHER ERIKSSON-LEE

Partner and Head of Private Client, Brachers LLP T: 01622 776465 E: christophereriksson-lee@brachers.co.uk www.brachers.co.uk

Helping our agricultural community to thrive and grow Legal services which deliver long-term solutions to support the future of farming Call us on 01622 690691 Visit us at brachers.co.uk

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FRESH PRODUCE SUPPLIER

CAPITALISING ON THE NEW HOME DELIVERIES MARKET He may not have worked as a doctor, but seven years of medical training paid off for Ed Gray as the coronavirus outbreak began to barge its way into the news headlines earlier this year. After finishing his medical degree, Ed decided instead to work for Watts Farms, the family business he now heads up, but as news of the virus continued to dominate the media, his background as a medical student made him take the fears of a pandemic seriously. With much of the family business focused on supplying the food service industry, he understood how much impact a lockdown of restaurants, cafés and other outlets would have on the company, and made a quick decision to launch a new, public-facing website. “Watts Farms supplies fresh produce to a number of supermarkets, but it was clear that they were coming under increasing pressure and that there was unmet demand from local people for another source of food delivered to their door,” he pointed out. “At the same time I could see that the food service industry we also supply

> Bok

Choi growing in the poly tunnel

JUNE 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

– including around 700 restaurants and hotels – was about to be hit severely, leaving us with an awful lot of stock in search of a new home. That was when I decided we needed to set up a home delivery website.” The new website, designed and built in double-quick time by Kent digital experts Kayo, was up and running just as the lockdown hit home, allowing the far-sighted business to capitalise on the new home deliveries market and mitigate some of the losses from the food service trade. “It saved our bacon, at least as far as that side of the business goes,” Ed said. “I think we found a new home for around 40% of the stock that would have gone to the hotel and restaurant trade. That compares to approximately 5% across the industry as a whole. As a result, while Watts Farms has had to furlough around 50 of its 400 staff – only from the food service side of the business – the overall impact on the almost 70 year-old family business, which turned over an impressive £50 million last year, has been limited. The pandemic has also had one interesting outcome in that the farming

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Ed Gray checks on the raspberry crop

side of the operation has now managed to recruit a number of British workers, something that normally proves very difficult. “When I first joined the business, I was determined that we would recruit local workers in order to support the local economy,” he recalled. “But despite all the advertising campaigns we ran, it was impossible to persuade UK workers to sign up – and even harder to get them to stay for more than a fortnight, particularly if it rained.” With the coronavirus crisis looking set to have an impact on the travel plans of overseas workers – and the possibility that many of them would want to stay closer to home to look after their own families – Ed was worried that this year would be tricky if he couldn’t persuade local people to join the ranks of pickers at his eight Kent farms. >>

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FRESH PRODUCE SUPPLIER picks orders for the customer collection service

> Elizabet

> Staff

> Redcurrants

and loganberries

prepare for the next leaf crop to be planted

<< He needn’t have worried. “That seems to have all changed this year,” he said. “I visited one of the farms the other week and there was an investment banker, a mechanic and a fudge maker all picking asparagus. Although we have been lucky enough to get many of my Eastern European workforce on site, I’ve also recruited 30 or 40 local people this year. “I hope that bodes well for the future as it would be good to support the local economy and there is good money to be made if people are prepared to work hard. I am hopeful that a fair number of people will stay on, particularly when the furlough scheme ends and they can no longer earn 80% of their previous wage.” Watts Farms, which comprises eight farms in Kent, one in Portugal and a glasshouse in Harlow, Essex, along with the supermarket packhouse in Swanley and the food service distribution depot in Aylesford, was started by Ed’s grandfather Donald Watts in 1952.

> Eric

loads and prepares for deliveries

> Asparagus

growing in the ﬁeld and being picked by a British group of pickers employed due to the Covid-19 epidemic

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SEED DRILLS

Mum Avril took over the business, working alongside her husband Mike, who brought considerable sales expertise to the company, while Ed went to university determined to pursue a career in medicine. “After seven years of studying, I finished my degree in around 2009 and decided to spend some time working before beginning my foundation years in medicine,” he recalled. “I started an events company while also helping out with the family business – and soon found myself hooked. “It’s easy to continue down a career path you have been working towards for a number of years, but if you find something you love doing – and in my case that was working here for Watts Farms – you need to take that opportunity. I never returned to medicine and now I run this business alongside fellow director Joe Cottingham.” Like the rest of the business, the new online store that has helped to find an outlet for what could otherwise have become an expensive stockpile >>

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FRESH PRODUCE SUPPLIER

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<< of rapidly deteriorating food, focuses on fresh produce but also supplies the flour, pasta and tinned goods that people need during this particular crisis. “With every single restaurant closed, everyone is cooking from home. Our supermarket trade has increased but we have also picked up lots of new customers for the new home delivery side of the business,” Ed said. “People love the convenience, the quality of the produce and the service we deliver,” he added. “They also like the fact that our range is fresh and local; we cut asparagus one day and it is on their plate the next.” Where possible the produce comes from the company’s own farms, which specialise in herbs, salad crops, particularly baby leaf varieties, and berries – including heritage varieties – along with chillies, runner beans and other specialities. That is supported by a broader range of fruit and veg sourced from other local growers as far as possible, and when that isn’t possible, by imports. “We keep it local if we can, but there are some things, like avocados, where customer demand means we continue to import them.” The driving consideration is always quality. “We usually supply restaurants that specialise in fine dining, and chefs are quick to let you know if the

44 > General

manager Carl Leary

divides mushrooms into smaller quantities for home shopping customers

> Elzbieta

JUNE 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

produce isn’t exactly what they expect,” said Ed. “Our reputation hinges on keeping our customers happy, and we apply the same standards to all our customers, including those who have signed up for our new delivery service.” With delivery a critical part of the offer to local shoppers, Kayo built that part of the service into the functionality of the website, which combines a ‘click and deliver’ system plus a payment gateway and is accessible on mobile phone, tablet or desktop computer. In the first fortnight the site took 2,000 orders. Alongside the farms’ own range of produce, which extends to 80 different crops, the website offers alcohol – thanks to a tie-in with Chapel Down wines – cakes, cheese and butter, vegetables, meat and poultry, fish, pasta and rice, bakery goods, fruit, crisps and snacks, tea and coffee, soft drinks and much more. Deliveries are free within 35 miles of Aylesford for customers spending £75 or more. “We will have a bit of a challenge to maintain sales once supermarkets are back to normal, but I am confident that by focusing on quality, freshness and an interesting variety of products we will be able to continue to give people an alternative,” said Ed. “The crisis has given us another string to our bow and one that I am confident will continue to benefit the business.”

NEWS

FARMERS JOIN FORCES

Farmers across the South Downs have joined forces to create an online portal as part of working more closely together to care for the landscape. The new website has been hailed as “an excellent way of promoting the work of local farmers to local residents at a time when we need to build strong partnerships between those who manage the land and the majority who are reliant on the essential services it can deliver.” That assessment came from Colin Hedley, Cluster Group Facilitator for the South Downs National Park, who added: “Many farmers are keen to explore opportunities for enhancing the environment as a core part of their farm business alongside food production. “They’re able to deliver major benefits to protect their local communities from the effects of climate change, such as through carbon storage in soils and trees and holding water on farmland to reduce flood risk.” More than 75% of the South Downs National Park is farmland and farmers play a critical role in looking after the landscape and its wildlife, with work to care for the land and grow food continuing throughout the current ‘lockdown’. More than 120 farms who belong to six farmer-led groups (or “clusters”) across Hampshire and Sussex have collaborated on the new website that will be used to share updates, projects and best practice.

The site also showcases the ongoing work of farmers to deliver nature-friendly farming, including providing wildlife habitats to encourage bees, butterflies and farmland birds such as the grey partridge, and improving the quality of soil, air and water. Bruce Fowkes, Farming Officer for the South Downs National Park, said the site would be “a collaborative tool for farmers to showcase their projects and best practice”, adding: “These are busy and challenging times for farmers, with the UK leaving the EU and quality food production more critical than ever during this global virus crisis. We hope the website will explain the vital role farmers undertake for society and provide an opportunity for people to find out more detail about the work that farmers do.” The South Downs National Park is also working with farmers and the farm clusters to contribute to the development of the Government’s new Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS). The aim is to provide feedback from the farming community to ensure future agricultural policies and support allows the production of quality local food to sit alongside sustainable land management that also helps combat climate change and reverse biodiversity decline.

> Farmers Camilla and Roly Puzey at Saddlescombe Farm

> Annie Brown and David Ellin, Paythorne Farm

www.southdownsfarming.com

Photo ©Chris Barbara

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SARAH CALCUTT FOCUS ON FRUIT

HOUSEHOLDS HAVE

TIME TO BUDGET WRAP – the Waste and Resources Action Programme – reports that UK households are wasting a third (34%) less bread, chicken, milk and potatoes under lockdown; now isn’t that a telling figure? The average household now has time to budget properly, can’t cruise the aisles being tempted by something they may not eat, is able to plan and prepare healthy meals for their families and, in many cases, is constricted by reduced income so every penny counts. Families have shopped less often, in bigger quantities, and the planning means that a greater proportion of the shop is used. The challenge now is to ensure that this habit is embedded in the longer term for the whole population as our ability to move around increases and our opportunities to shop increase again. I’m writing this just after the Chancellor has announced the extension of the furlough scheme until October. We have to assume that restrictions for many sectors will continue for a long while.

Looking at the Office of National Statistics site (figure 1, ONS site, rates of furloughing) there is a clear set of numbers for the first furlough period, which shows the large scale cessation of trading in most sectors. I would imagine that the same graph by the end of this week and then again in June will clearly indicate that hospitality, arts, entertainment, food service and hotels will be the sectors supported over the longer term. They are all areas that have a direct impact on our food supply chain in the UK, the effect of which will be felt throughout the wholesale and direct supply groups for several years. Food supply chains aren’t the only things that are going to be changed (probably improved) by our current situation; there is increasing evidence

Figure 1: Rates of furloughing varied widely across industry, particularly for those businesses continuing to trade 46

Proportion of the workforce that had been furloughed, by industry and trading status of the employing business, for responding businesses that were still trading or had temporarily paused trading, UK, 23 March 2020 to 5 April 2020 Continuing to trade

Has temporarily closed or paused trading

Continuing to trade and temporarily closed or paused trading combined

Arts Entertainment and Recreation Human Health and Social Work Activities Education Administrative and Support Service Activities Professional Scientiﬁc and Technical Activities Information and Communication Transportation and Storage Accommodation and Food Service Activities Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles Construction Water Supply Sewerage Waste Management and Remediation Activities Manufacturing All industries 0

Source: Oﬃce for National Statistics – Business Impact of Coronavirus (Covid-19) Survey

JUNE 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

100 %

FRUIT

WAX CANDLES TO

PROTECT VINES

Unusually cold May nights saw the team at Adrian Scripps using wax candles to protect vines on the lower vineyard at Hononton Farm, Brenchley on three occasions. Farms director Mark Holden and farm manager Mihai Stanca put the candles out at 6m intervals and let them burn overnight, with the combination of the temperature boost and smoke helping to keep the frost at bay. “The growing tips of the vines are very sensitive at this time of year and the temperature was forecast to just drop below zero so we used the candles to protect them. It’s unusual for the temperature to drop as low as that on three occasions this late in the year,” he commented. Mainly known for top fruit, Adrian Scripps has three vineyards on two sites, at Hononton Farm and at Cobham, near Gravesend.

Better people Best placed SEASONAL LABOUR PLACEMENT tm ui

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that the daily torture of a commute may also be a thing of the past for thousands of city workers. Other multi-nationals are following Barclays’ lead in announcing the shedding of costly corporate headquarters full of offices. They are instead intending to utilise the technology that has facilitated working from home for their teams going forward. Doesn’t this make for a great opportunity on farms? Just think, people whose commute has given them a quiet desk and a separation between work and home life are now sitting in the spare room with pre-school age children screaming, sorry, playing in the next room. Wouldn’t you long for a quiet little office, maybe with a view? Lots of people have taken this time to learn a new skill, to start that business venture that might need new, small, local premises. I think there will be great opportunities for farms to host other businesses; just don’t forget that the speed of your broadband will rate higher on the priorities than just about anything else! Rural opportunities for regional working hubs… good broadband will be essential. And finally… I hope that you used the NFU’s excellent ‘Letter to your MP’ facility to remind our representatives that they needed to attend the third reading of the Agriculture Bill this week? The NFU has consistently argued that the purpose of the bill should be to establish a framework for financial support and other policy interventions that can underpin the roles of farmers as both food producers and as guardians of the natural environment. Future support should be built on three cornerstones: 1. Rewarding and incentivising farmers for delivering environmental goods and high animal welfare 2. Improving the productivity of UK agriculture 3. Underpinning resilience and stability within agriculture by helping farmers manage volatility. These are needed in future policy if we are to meet the two great challenges in the years ahead: 1. Ensuring the food security of our citizens, through a UK food system that is resistant to major shocks and supports a sufficient degree of domestic food production. 2. Ensuring agriculture in the UK is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable over the long-term, through more efficient and climate-friendly farming that can continue to provide a sufficient supply of food for future generations.

SARAH CALCUTT Chair, National Fruit Show

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NICK ADAMES WEST SUSSEX DIARY NICK ADAMES Former dairy farmer

I have to admit to feeling something of a sham at the moment. I am still a fairly active farmer but, at the time of writing, have not been to the Hill Farm for weeks to inspect the progress of the new vineyard. The vines are not my responsibility, yet after seeing the farm almost daily since installing a new herd there in 1969 I still feel a great affinity to the place which has been part of my life, all my life. As such, while my business remains owner of the land where the vines are planted, perhaps that alone entitles me to regular inspections? Yet with this health crisis still rumbling on, my spirit of self preservation has kept me rather too far away from the action. I hate to think how difficult it would have been were the herd still there. Instead I have to rely on updates from Emma, now getting increasing ‘hands on’ experience, since she is now contracted out, part time, to the new project. She tells me the grafts are looking very happy on the site. Meanwhile I am in charge of the maize on the Home Farm which I can access by foot, car or quad bike. Early signs are that it is looking good, but the proof will be visible in the next few weeks when we will see if the steady rolling it received after sowing has deterred those damned wireworm. As I said in April it is rather ironic that many of the most effective chemicals in an arable farmer’s armoury have been withdrawn by the EU and, in the case of wireworm we have to rely instead on a remedy perhaps 200+ years old for protecting seeds. “Give the crop a good heavy roll to stop the pests moving so easily through the soil.” It’s rather like being told to go back to working the farm with a pair of horses? But there it is, so, until our government makes a clean break with many of these EU rules

“BY NOW I WAS BECOMING JUST A SMUDGE IRRITATED” and regulations we are stuck with it. The maize land all had some 26 tonnes per acre of (ex-AD plant) digestate applied pre ploughing, as a condition of growing it. Apparently this improves the ‘green credentials’ of the AD plant/end user, but to see the operation, the sheer machinery costs, machinery movements and fuel involved, I didn’t actually see very much saving for anyone, or any fossil fuel economy worth advertising. I had an interesting exchange of emails recently when I found the conditions were perfect to burn last winter’s fallen and cut timber. The wet weather had kept us from doing the job for months, so when it finally dried I went through all the procedures, obtained consent from the fire service, made sure the wind was right and lit a match to a paper bag, then whoosh. Very rewarding to get the job done so easily and that evening I settled down to catch up with the day’s events. One of the first things was to read the latest emails, since I live by them these days. They are ideal when dealing with non-urgent matters, because they can be answered when convenient. The first communication was from someone I knew was ‘trouble’, a ‘very important’ local councillor. In the form of a message addressed to around 50 individual residents of the hamlet, he asked them to “have a word with their local (but unnamed) farmer”, me, and persuade him/me to stop having “so many fires” because it was unsociable and a danger to health. So now all the neighbours believe I have acted in an unneighbourly manner. No doubt he had posted something similar on social media but I have never been involved in those dangerous things, so it would have gone over my head.

> Contractors digestate spreader, and tanker delivering another load to farm

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Then he went on to accuse me of “having similar fires for months”. This seemed a bit odd as the last one I lit here was back in October, to tidy up another fallen tree. By now I was becoming just a smudge irritated. He had presumably obtained his information from someone confined by the ‘virus lockdown’ who obviously needed something to do with their time. Yes, he had seen numerous fires in the locality, but spread over some 1/3 of a mile because they had been from neighbours’ garden bonfires. Not mine. This is the sort of thing many other farmers have had to deal with regularly. Complaints range from ploughing footpaths, cattle out in meadows they wish to run their dogs in, the state of footpaths and of stiles youths have smashed up, to muddy gateways; you name it, we get it! Of course it’s always the ‘farmer’s’ fault. A year or two back I had to tell one ‘resident complainer’ that if he cared to pay me £5,000 a year I would leave one meadow empty of cattle and give him sole rights to walk his dogs on it. He thought better of it, but these people just don’t seem to realise these fields are actually the farmer’s ‘shop floor’ and, ultimately, where his living and their food comes from. Now we are almost free of the EU it will be more important than ever we grow feed, rather than huge ‘national forests’ or ‘rewild’ farmland, as one large landowner in Sussex has done, using land which, while Weald clay, had previously supported several nice dairy herds. Such projects have been given too much publicity, on the likes of Countryfile, aiming to persuade the general public, and non-farming newspaper or TV editors, of the countryside’s future as one big park. Where they think the country’s food will come from God only knows.

AT ASHFORD MARKET The coronavirus lockdown imposed by the Government on 23 March to limit the spread of the dreaded disease has had a major impact on people’s lives and the general economy worldwide. The strict limitations, quarantines and restrictions have resulted in industry slowdown and the complete closure of certain businesses. The closure of restaurants, pubs and other catering outlets had a major effect upon many food industry supply chains. The livestock marketing industry was deemed an essential part of the food chain and allowed to remain open and operational, albeit under tight regulations, throughout the country. A ‘drop and go’ policy, whereby vendors of livestock and hauliers have been allowed to deliver animals to market and leave them for sale, with entry into the main sales area restricted to staff and registered buyers only, has been operated. The system has worked and worked well, proving acceptable and satisfactory under the circumstances, with stock selling at competitive prices reflecting true supply and demand. Contrast this to the situation 20 years ago when Foot and Mouth Disease lockdown forced the closure of livestock markets and opportunistic buyers forced the price of finished stock to rock bottom levels, which in turn depressed the value of all store and breeding stock to such extreme lows. We must thank industry leaders who negotiated the terms allowing markets to operate; locally, Ashford Cattle Market Company and Hobbs Parker extend a huge thanks to all involved in making the market a relative success over the past six weeks. The continued and loyal support of our vendors throughout the South East and beyond and of our regular buyers for attending and paying fair and competitive prices has been much appreciated, and it is the hard work, dedication and understanding from the hauliers and staff that has made it possible. Of course, the meat market has changed and adjusted as a result of the lockdown and associated restrictions, particularly the limitations at retail level and the catering outlets. The demand for red meat soared during the initial weeks of lockdown, in response to the widespread closure of eating out establishments, meaning consumers stockpiled in fear of further restrictions. Since then demand has eased, and despite the massive increase in retail sales these have only partially replaced the amount of meat consumed out of home. In particular the demand for the more expensive cuts has suffered, with demand increasing for cheaper more versatile products. This in turn has impacted on the trade and returns for the different sections in the livestock market. The store cattle sales have been the undoubted success since the turn of the year, with throughput up 5% on the year and the overall average price of £720 within £10 of last year despite the downward pressure on the returns for finished stock. The recent

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PETER KINGWILL and ELWYN DAVIES Reporting on the market at Ashford T: 01233 502222 www.hobbsparker.co.uk

TRUE SUPPLY AND DEMAND REFLECTED seasonal sales have attracted big numbers, with some exceptional runs of top quality continental cross beef bred single-suckled 12-15 month old stores, and an increasing number of native bred cattle have been well received to target the special schemes available and the smaller butcher trade. The sales have been well attended by our regular buyers and several fresh faces from further afield have been attracted by the large numbers and quality of stock on offer at Ashford. Generally trade has been brisk throughout, with demand far outstripping supply and the best beef bred 12-15 month steers making £850 to £1,050, heifers £750 to £900 and the few stronger older cattle to finish short term £1,000 to £1,200. The dairy bred stores have continued to attract competitive prices although at lower pence per kg than the beef bred sorts, reflecting lower spec and returns available for the finished product. The finished cattle section has held up well despite the major abattoirs reducing the deadweight price during this difficult trading period. The very best handy weight butcher type continental crosses have sold well in excess of 200p per kg, native bred and heavier sorts have generally made 170p to 185p, while exceptional purebred yearling British Blue bulls sold at £1,342 (228p) and £1,296 (224p) from Andew Price, Maidstone. With mince undoubtedly a major item on the weekly family shopping list, demand for cull cows has strengthened considerably. Initially as the fast food outlets closed, opportunistic processors slashed prices, but it was to be short lived as tight seasonal supplies ensured the demand would far outstrip supply. Recent weeks have seen good numbers with 108 head sold on the 12 May, and with fresh faces amongst the attending buyers, returns have soared. Plenty of fleshed beef cows are making 130p to 150p, with quality feeding animals 140p to 180p. Dairy

culls see best returns over 130p and £1,100, but it is probably the mid-range boning cows that look the very best sold. It is a shame that some misguided dairy companies are interfering in cull cow marketing and preventing farmers from taking the opportunities that are provided by an open and competitive market place to sell their culls. Farmers in all sections must not allow their businesses to be constrained by demanding buyers who seek to serve themselves and not their customers’ best interests. The sheep section benefited from the surge in retail demand for meat prior to the lockdown in mid-March, with the hogget average in excess of 240p and a top of 308p. During these few weeks the hoggets averaged around £105 per head, up by some £20 per head on the corresponding week last year, with best heavy weights making £120 to £130. The cull ewe prices also soared during this period, with best continental bred ewes topping at £169 and an overall average of £111 per head, probably a record at Ashford Market. In recent weeks the hogget trade has settled at prices achieved last year and similar to the five yearly average at around 200p and majority grossing £90 to £110. Due to the easing of restrictions we welcomed the return of breeding stock sales on Tuesday 12 May and a sale of breeding ewes and lambs and Romney ewe tegs on Friday 15 May. The sale on Tuesday attracted a selection of bulls and crossbred cows and calves. Young Limousin bulls topped at £2,600 from Ellis & Gottschalk while smart crossbred Limousin x British Blue bulls sold to £2,750 from Ms Karen Husk. The pick of the cows and calves comprised a run of Aberdeen Angus cows with April born Aberdeen Angus calves at foot, which topped at £1,360 and averaged £1,257 from Raveningham Farms, Norfolk.

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AT COLCHESTER MARKET

GOOD START TO THE SEASON

Colchester Livestock Market continued to trade through April and early May, when this report was being written, under the strict rules of social distancing and operating a drop and go policy for vendors. Despite the restrictions in place we saw a strong trade for sheep throughout the reporting period, with new season lambs keenly sought but still slow to come forward, with grass growth in the cold nights slow and holding back the lambs. With all buyers keen, we saw exceptional prices and a good start to the season for producers. As with all marketing, competition is the key and that is what livestock markets provide. There were plenty of quality lambs 300p/kg and above with lambs sold on 12 May as dear as any. Old season lambs are holding their trade as well, with plenty of heavy sheep about which were slightly more difficult to place with their normal outlet of catering under severe pressure due to Covid-19. Ewes are still wanted, with Ramadan in the period of the report having some effect, but still a realistic trade if off the peaks seen prior to Covid-19. The prime cattle sale in Colchester is supported very well by retail butchers with all stating their trade is excellent despite Covid-19 and they continue to buy strongly every week. Commercial cattle are finding a more selective trade but still well in line if not above deadweight quotations most weeks, with local wholesalers competing well for the cattle forward. It is noticeable that a large percentage of traditional bred cattle are coming

AGREEMENT JUST IN TIME Ashford market held a planned sale of ewes and lambs in mid-May after the Livestock Auctioneers’ Association (LAA) received government approval for some sales of breeding animals to go ahead within the ‘new normal’ of social distancing. Hobbs Parker’s Elwyn Davies, who sits on the LAA Council, said the agreement with DEFRA and the Welsh Government had come just in time to allow sales of breeding stock to go ahead. “There are sellers out there and we have buyers keen to buy, so it is welcome news that the market can fulfil its purpose,” he said, adding: “But as with all our sales, these are being held under very tight controls. Sellers are dropping off their stock and leaving, and the sale is only open to buyers. This is no longer a social occasion.” The LAA said the agreement reflected “the demonstrable adherence to social distancing procedures” demonstrated by markets and said these would continue to be “vigilantly implemented”. Chris Dodds, the LAA’s executive secretary, added: “Additional conditions will be implemented and extended to the sale of breeding animals, to ensure continued safe trade within LAA marts. This is not a relaxation of controls, but an extension to the stringent conditions already implemented to allow for these sales.” Sales that would normally generate a large gathering of people, such as special pedigree bull sales, remain off limits.

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GRAHAM ELLIS

Stanfords T: 01206 842156 E: info@stanfords-colchester.co.uk www.stanfords-colchester.co.uk forward and these are also finding a strong enquiry with only excess fat reducing demand. As always vendors can choose to sell or not even with the Covid-19 regulations, ensuring that they obtain the value they want for the stock they produce. Cull cattle are continuing to meet strong demand and more are wanted in this section at Colchester. FABBL farm assurance is important in most cases. The pig trade, despite depressing reports from the continent, maintained at similar levels except for cull sows which, due to the collapse in the German pork trade, saw a substantial drop in price as this report was compiled. Supporting livestock markets gives a true return and choice to vendors. Please discuss your stock with your local auctioneers who will be pleased to advise on marketing.

PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN The UK dairy sector has joined forces with the Government in a £1 million promotional campaign that will include TV advertising for the first time in a decade. Adverts highlighting the importance of ‘human connections’ will be shown on social media and in online advertising as well as on television. The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has been working with Dairy UK, DEFRA and the devolved governments on the 12-week campaign, which went live in mid-May. Focusing on the tea, coffee and milky drink occasions that are at the heart of most human connections, the campaign will be funded by £500,000 from the UK Governments, £300,000 from Dairy UK members and £200,000 from AHDB. Dr Judith Bryans, Chief Executive of Dairy UK, explained: “Everyday moments of human connection are especially important during this crisis. We want to highlight the central and sometimes forgotten role that dairy plays as part of our everyday lives. We want to remind people of the importance of taking a moment to connect with each other while enjoying the foods they love, even if it is remotely.” Christine Watts, AHDB’s Chief Marketing Officer, described it as “a fantastic demonstration of what can be achieved when industry and government join together to meet a common challenge”.

VET DIARY

IBR OUTBREAK DURING MATING Know your status!

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25%

Predicted 2020 calving pattern (226 cows) 2019 calving pattern (242 cows)

% cows calving of total expected

I wanted to share the experiences of an autumn block calving dairy farm during last year’s breeding season. After an uneventful 12-week calving period the mating season started much as normal with plenty of services (all AI) in the first three-week period. We were a little suspicious of there being more cows repeating their heats and a lot of abnormal intervals between heats indicating embryo deaths. Disaster struck when our first pregnancy diagnosis session revealed the conception rate, which we would normally target at 55%, had plummeted to 26%. I had tested the bulk milk tank prior to the start of mating, which showed a negative status for infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR). I sampled a group of empty cows five weeks into the mating season, all of which had high antibodies to IBR. I think we’d found the problem. The farm battled on and managed to gain more pregnancies in weeks six to 12 of mating. Conception rates improved as the herd gradually acquired immunity. Please note that vaccination for IBR during an outbreak is often unrewarding. After 12 weeks the empty rate stood at 27%, compared to <20% as typical. This was significantly better than I had anticipated, but the predicted calving pattern (excluding heifers) takes on a whole new shape this year as highlighted in the graph. We now face challenges of tightening the calving block, due to significantly more late-season calvers than normal. Furthermore, there will be a knock-on effect of a reduced number of replacement heifers born due to poor conception rates in the first half of

Actual 2019 and predicted 2020 calving pattern Percentage of cows calving (excluding heifers) in five day periods

20%

Period dairy semen used 2020 Period dairy semen used 2019

15% 10% 5% 0%

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 02 02 02 02 02 02 02 02 02 02 02 02 20 /2 /2 /2 /2 /2 /2 /2 /2 /2 /2 /2 /2 8/ 9 9 9 0 9 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 / /0 /0 /0 /1 /0 /1 /1 /1 /1 /1 /1 /1 28 11 18 04 09 25 02 16 30 06 23 20 13

mating when dairy semen was predominantly used. I suspect the effects of this year will be felt for years to come. So where did it come from? The bulling heifers were housed next to the cows just before mating. The conception to first service in the heifers this year was 70% and pregnancy rates were excellent overall, equally all heifers tested positive to IBR. We hypothesised that the heifers were affected during summer and had gained good immunity by mating. On their return to the farm, latent carriers then began shedding the virus to the naïve milking herd. Thank you to my clients who have been kind enough to share their experience. Knowing whether

you have a negative IBR status and vaccinating to protect your herd should not be overlooked as the consequences in this instance have had costly implications.

CARMEN PENGELLY

Cliffe Veterinary Group T: 01273 473232 E: carmen@cliffevets.co.uk www.cliffefarm.co.uk

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ADVICE FROM THE VET Cattle lameness is still an important issue facing dairy farmers, with recent studies showing the lameness prevalence across UK dairy farms to be around 30%, with 26% of cows having a score of 2 and 4.1% a score of 3. As with most things, prevention is better that cure, so routinely mobility scoring your herd will help you spot the earlier signs of lameness, allowing for prompt treatment and higher recovery rates, writes Sophie Oﬀer BVetMed MRCVS, of Westpoint Farm Vet’s practice in Daventry.

HOW DO I SCORE MY HERD?

• Ideally mobility scoring should be carried out once a month, either by a trained member of staff or independent mobility scorer. There are often training courses run locally which are RoMS (Registry of Mobility Scorers) approved. It is recommended that the same member of staff carries out the scoring each time to ensure consistency with the results. • Choose a day with time after the scoring to separate off the score 2 and 3 cows, so their feet can be lifted to be examined and treated as soon as possible. • Choose a good place to stand which will allow you to observe cows walking past naturally, without affecting the cow flow, e.g. as they exit the milking parlour. • Monitor each cow individually, allowing them to make six to 10 uninterrupted strides, ideally on a hard, non-slip surface, such as concrete. • Watch the cow from the side and the rear and, if possible, as she turns a corner. • Record the identities of cows scoring 2 or 3 and schedule treatment with regular checks to ensure treatment is working. • Keep a tally of cows that score 0 and 1. • If you are uncertain about the exact score of a cow, make repeat observations. If you are still unsure, examine her feet. The AHDB Scoring System: Score 0 – Good Mobility – Walks with even weight bearing and rhythm on all four feet with a flat back. Long fluid strides possible. Score 1 – Imperfect Mobility – Steps uneven (rhythm or weight bearing) or strides shortened: affected limb(s) not immediately identifiable. Score 2 – Impaired Mobility – Uneven weight bearing on a limb that is immediately identifiable and/or obviously shortened strides (usually with an arch to the centre of the back). Score 3 – Severely Impaired Mobility – Unable to walk as fast as a brisk human pace (cannot keep up with the healthy herd). Lame leg is easy to identify – limping; may barely stand on lame leg(s); back arched when standing and walking. Very lame. Both the AHDB website and YouTube have very useful videos of cattle mobility scoring with examples of each score and what to look for when scoring.

MOBILITY SCORING: A TOOL

FOR TACKLING LAMENESS

WHAT ACTIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN FOLLOWING SCORING?

Score 0 – No action needed. Routine preventative foot trimming when required. Record mobility at next scoring session. Score 1 – Could benefit from routine preventative foot trimming when required. Further observation recommended. Score 2 – Lame and likely to benefit from treatment. Foot should be lifted to establish cause of lameness before treatment. This should be attended to as soon as practically possible.

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Score 3 – This cow is very lame and requires urgent attention, nursing and further professional advice and will benefit from treatment. The cow should not be made to walk far and should be bedded on a deep straw yard. In the most severe cases, the only possible solution may be culling.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MOBILITY SCORING?

• It allows for every cow to be regularly assessed for the early signs of poor mobility. Studies have shown that regular, routine mobility scoring followed by treatment within 48hrs leads to the development of less severe lesions. This decreases the amount of time that an animal is lame, and therefore leads to higher recovery rates and reduced need for repeat treatments. • It provides figures for benchmarking performance. Data from mobility scoring can be used alongside findings at foot trimming to identify the main causes of lameness and any trends on farm. Discussing this with the vet can help with implementing the changes that will have the most impact on reducing lameness. Mobility scoring can then be used to monitor the progress once changes have been made. • General foot health awareness is increased, and it motivates farm staff to improve herd mobility and therefore overall herd health. In conclusion, although it may seem time consuming, regular mobility scoring is an important tool in tackling lameness on farms, as cows with earlier signs of lameness will be observed sooner and, if treated promptly, are more likely to recover more quickly. Having a good understanding of the prevalence of lameness can lead to targets being set and the right changes made to reduce it, therefore reducing the costs associated with lameness and improving overall herd health. If you would like a quote for mobility scoring and foot trimming your cattle call Chris Hulbert at Westpoint Farm Vets on 07921 214845 or to discuss anything covered in this article contact your local Westpoint practice.

ANDY RICHMOND KATHY HUME

Westpoint Horsham Westpoint Ashford T: 01306 628086 T: 01306 628208 E: info@westpointfarmvets.co.uk www.westpointfarmvets.co.uk

JOHN MCALOON

Westpoint Sevenoaks T: 01959 564383

SHEEP TOPICS ALAN WEST

AN OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT What a strange world we live in. Who would have thought on New Year’s Day this year that within a couple of months we would find ourselves in the situation where much of the population is effectively and for very good reasons, ‘confined to barracks’? The Covid-19 (C19) lockdown has been devastating for a significant proportion of the population, not so for many of those engaged in farming, particularly those with livestock; to many it has been and continues to be an inconvenience, but as sheep keepers we have been largely buffered from some of the least pleasant aspects of current lockdown regulations. Sheep keeping is often a fairly lonely occupation, an aspect of the job that really does come into sharper focus at lambing time. This season, lambing coinciding with lockdown has made social distancing relatively easy to apply. It’s what tends to happen at this time of year anyway. Other aspects of lockdown, such as the need to stay at home and avoid travelling, have generally been of no consequence to sheep producers; the requirements to have appropriate regard for welfare of one’s ovine charges has meant that visits to care for ewes that are lambing, to feed stock, to purchase feed and veterinary medicines, etc have all been essential journeys. Farmers’ organisations have even gone as far as to issue ‘essential journey certificates’. I feel that we have been quite fortunate. We have a good reason (not an excuse) to get out each day to carry out essential tasks to maintain the wellbeing and welfare of our sheep, a situation that, I am sure, many town dwellers would be quite envious of. The C19 situation has to many sheep keepers been, in the short term at least, an inconvenience. We have been in a fortunate position; spare a thought for those who are compelled to spend day after day cooped up at home with little to do. I simply cannot begin to imagine what it must be like. Regrettably the longerterm situation may be rather more challenging, and not just to sheep producers. Unquestionably, as a result of disruptions in the food chain and an increasing recognition that the domestic market place is rather more reliable and less volatile, support for British farmers has increased quite significantly over recent weeks, but can we sensibly assume that this will continue post C19? I suspect not. As an industry we are able to make a major contribution towards the provision of well-balanced menus for UK households, towards self-sufficiency, with household menus comprised

almost entirely of UK produce. That would be a lovely position to be in but not that realistic; it’s easy to say: “Do we really need strawberries at Christmas? What’s wrong with seasonality of produce?” In order to achieve this, however, we must recognise and address the task of weaning consumers off their demand for imported and exotic produce; off eating habits and patterns of consumption established over several decades. In reality this will not be an easy option. Consumers have short memories and generally little loyalty to UK producers, particularly where there are price differentials; if we expect consumers to pay a premium for a reliable and resilient supply of UK produce, delivered via a relatively short and efficient distribution network, we must be able to convince them that it is good value for money. There is a big difference between cheap food and good value for money, probably a difference that many consumers simply do not recognise. This presents us with a huge marketing task, a task that we cannot simply rely on the NFU, AHDB Beef and Lamb or ‘someone else’ to do for us. Marketing starts at the farm gate; we all need to do our bit to help promote the quality lamb and sheep meat that we produce. It’s all about communication! On a personal level, lockdown has certainly curtailed many of my activities outside the farm gate. Some things have been transferable online but some simply are not, the outcome being that suddenly there seems to be a few more hours in the day. Time that has, by and large, been usefully deployed catching up on many of those little ‘just’ jobs, the ones that have been on the list for ages but simply need a ‘bit more time’. Sorting out a bit of fencing, a bit of plumbing and so on, tasks which have entailed spending significantly more time with and around the sheep. Useful time, but time that has also provided numerous opportunities to observe our ovine charge; time to simply stand and watch, time to spot some of the little quirks, their interactions and behaviour. For the first time this year we (rather

the shepherdess) have lambed a new but small flock of Herdwick, just half a dozen purebred ewes with a very smart pedigree ram (incidentally only the second MV accredited Herdwick flock in the country, unfortunately the other is in Scotland). I was certainly not convinced initially, but they have certainly grown on me, they really are interesting and very different little sheep. To many outside the sheep sector a sheep is simply a sheep; “they all look the same to me” springs to mind, but anyone with any experience of sheep will appreciate that different breeds all have different characters. Over the years I have worked with a huge variety of sheep; hill sheep in Wales, fat-tailed breeds in the Middle East, pure breeds, cross breeds etc so have been accustomed to differing characters, but the Herdwick have certainly generated a few surprises. They are so different to other sheep, in their individual characters, in their group interactions and most of all in their behaviour and interactions with other ewes’ lambs. All sheep are opportunistic, particularly where food is involved, but not like the Herdys, they take opportunism to a new level. They are incredibly quick to learn, both individually and from each other; it is all too easy to be taken in by their innocent-looking smiley faces. Most surprising has been how they interact with each other; an ideal lockdown sheep, social distancing is not a problem for a Herdwick, they are so fiercely individualistic, particularly once they have lambs at foot. They keep their lambs far tighter than most other breeds and simply do not tolerate, in any way, another ewe’s lambs coming anywhere close either to them or their lambs, sometimes really quite aggressively. I am really pleased that the Herdwicks (and having a little more time to observe) have renewed my interest in sheep behaviour, something that, I suspect we all, to our own cost, take far too much for granted from time to time. To quote from William Henry Davies: “What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare… A poor life this if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare.”

ALAN WEST Sheep farmer

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NEWS

£10,000 RESCUE PACKAGE

The dairy industry has welcomed a £10,000 per farmer rescue package following the Covid-19 inspired crisis in the food service sector. As the worst-hit dairy farmers were finally picking up milk cheques for February and March amidst uncertainty over the price they would receive for their current efforts, Environment Secretary George Eustice announced that eligible farmers would be entitled to up to £10,000 to cover 70% of their lost income during April and May. Berkshire dairy farmer Gary Fisher, who milks 100 cattle at Steeles Farm, Ashmansworth, estimated that the funding would roughly equate to his losses. While his milk has all been collected during the crisis, his payments have been reduced by 5p a litre and considerably delayed. “I think I was about £4,000 down on April,” he said. “This will obviously help – we certainly aren’t making any money out of milk at the moment and we don’t know how long this issue will continue.” Gary, who trades as W F Fisher and Son and supplies the food service industry, felt more should have been done sooner to switch surplus milk to areas that needed it. “There were shortages in supermarkets, everyone at home was drinking tea and coffee and there’s been a big increase in baking. The industry should have done more to meet that demand,” he said. While Gary welcomed the support, another Berkshire dairy farmer with a larger herd, who asked not to be named, was less impressed, describing it as “a drop in the ocean” that would not even cover the feed and wage bills. Another, Robin Betts, who runs Winterdale Cheesemakers and has been hit hard by the crisis, said it was “good news that the dairy farmers are at last being supported in a similar vein to all other UK companies.” The Environment Secretary, who referred to other government measures, including relaxing the competition laws to allow suppliers, retailers and

logistics businesses to work together to help meet the challenges, pledged: “We will continue to stand alongside our dairy farmers through this difficult period. “Our dairy industry plays a crucial role in feeding our nation and we are doing all we can to ensure they are properly supported during this time.” The dairy sector is the UK’s largest farming sector, with milk accounting for 16.85% of total agricultural output in the UK in 2018, but it has been hard hit by the effect of the coronavirus pandemic. While noting that many farmers have already rerouted their milk supplies to retailers and supermarkets, the DEFRA announcement said the move would “give the farmers in the greatest need the financial assurance to ensure they can remain operational, sustain production capacity and continue to meet animal welfare demands at this time”. Eligible dairy farmers who have lost more than 25% of their income over April and May because of coronavirus disruptions will be eligible to access the funding, with no cap on the number of farmers who can receive this support or on the total funding available. Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) chairman Peter Alvis welcomed the support package, but added: “We would like DEFRA to keep reviewing support measures for the industry as we are conscious that should our farmers continue to be impacted for an extended period, we will need the government to act quickly and look at some additional support.” He also urged producers that are being paid less for their milk or having to discard it to continue filling in the RABDF milk losses survey at www.rabdf.co.uk/survey. Interim data from the survey has shown the amount of milk discarded between 6 and 20 April was a little over one million litres, which is in line with the figures produced by AHDB and Dairy

JUNE 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

UK. The results are being shared with DEFRA to highlight the scale of the problem affecting the industry. The initial results showed that Kent was the third worst affected county for milk either being downvalued or discarded. The ‘top three’ counties were Dorset (2.38 million litres (ml)), Staffordshire (2.17 ml) and Kent (1.42 ml). NFU President Minette Batters also welcomed news of the funding support, suggesting that the Secretary of State was “stepping in to prevent a catastrophe for the dairy sector”. She added: "We know that the dairy sector is just one of those that have been affected by coronavirus, but we appreciate the hard work DEFRA has put in to secure this much-needed financial support for many dairy farming families who face losing their businesses.” NFU dairy board chairman Michael Oakes sounded a note of caution, pointing out: “While this support package will be helpful for those farmers who are currently under considerable financial strain, we believe a combination of measures are needed in order to stabilise the industry’s viability for the medium and long term. “Dairy farmers need much better contractual protection than they currently enjoy and that needs to be examined by government as a matter of urgency once we move to the recovery phase of the current crisis.” The news was also welcomed by CLA, with President Mark Bridgeman stressing: “It’s important that we support our dairy farmers so that they are still able to produce milk for doorstep delivery, retail market and processing into butter and cheese in the future when markets return to normal. “These grants will help overcome some of their financial losses, but the situation is urgent for many businesses so they must be straightforward to access and quick to pay out.”

LAND AND FARMS

RARE OPPORTUNITY TO BUY

A long-established, award-winning East Sussex vineyard with an impressive pedigree is up for sale. David Carr Taylor, who planted the Carr Taylor Vineyard at Westfield Village, just outside Hastings, in 1971, well ahead of the current viticulture boom, is looking for a new owner for the successful venture, HASTINGS | EAST SUSSEX which has won somewhere around 200 international and national awards and medals over the years. David, though, is not retiring; instead he will be focusing on his latest initiative, which is to take advantage of what he sees as a growing interest in wine in India, where the business now has an office and access to warehousing. “We carried out our research in 1969, and despite all the people who said we would never make it work, I planted 21 acres of mainly German vines two years later. At that time it was one of the largest vineyards in the country – and one of only a handful in total,” he recalled. “I was the first to plant vines that ripened in the UK due to our maritime climate, the first UK winemaker to make commercial volumes of Method Champenoise wine and the first in the UK to receive two gold medals at the Challenge International Du Vin in France, in 1989.” The Carr Taylor vineyard now has 37 acres of vines, including Bacchus, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Ortega and Chardonnay, and makes both still and sparkling white wines and rosé. The sale will also include a seven-bedroomed farmhouse, five bonded outbuildings, a wine shop and tasting room, bottling and storage facilities and more. David is also hoping that the purchaser will be prepared to invest in a stateof-the-art winery and invite his son Alexander, an award-wining winemaker, to stay on at the helm of the successful business.

ESTABLISHED VINEYARD

EDENBRIDGE | KENT

POA

37 ACRES

GUIDE PRICE: £280,000

MANAGED STOCK PROOF GRASSLAND 28 acres of managed stock proof grassland with water available and direct road frontage and access is on the market with Batcheller Monkhouse. The land is for sale freehold and vacant possession upon completion. There is a development uplift of 25% of the increase in value of the property on grant of planning permission for residential or commercial purposes.

Specialist Bespoke Planning Advice for your planning journey

www.therpp.co.uk CRANBROOK 01580 201888

CIRENCESTER 01285 323200

office@therpp.co.uk TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | JUNE 2020

LAND AND FARMS

DIVERSE BUSINESSES BETTER PLACED

TO PROSPER IN POST-COVID COUNTRYSIDE

“Up horn, down corn” is an old agricultural saying that, like many old agricultural sayings, is as relevant today as it’s ever been. It is, of course, a clarion call for the benefits of mixed farming, highlighting how the fortunes of the various sectors are rarely in step and how tough times in one often coincide with periods of relative prosperity in another. The Covid-19 crisis has reminded us of the value of this approach because, while there isn’t a single farm or estate in the country unaffected, some enterprises have been hit far harder than others. Few – if any – farmers or landowners will escape this time of turmoil unscathed, but the importance of having diverse revenue streams has been brought back into sharp focus. There is an irony here. As the country went into lockdown, diversified enterprises – particularly those relying on visitors such as wedding venues or open farms – were among the hardest-hit, when it may have been precisely as a means of spreading risk that farmers launched them in the first place. The principle holds true, however. We live in an unpredictable world. Threats, like opportunities, will come at us increasingly fast and unexpectedly; who had even heard of the word ‘coronavirus’ a few months ago? Limiting risk and building resilience is crucial. A key way of doing this is by developing multiple income sources from within – and beyond – what would have been deemed traditional agricultural endeavours. Estates have always had diverse portfolios, spanning agriculture, forestry, property and other diversifications. Such diverse revenue streams are set to become ever-more important as BPS support falls between now and 2028. Let’s not forget, either, that amid all the commercial challenges that even some of the

best-run businesses are facing right now, others have actually found themselves busier than ever as a result of Covid-19. This is absolutely not a case of them taking advantage of the misfortune of others, merely that they provide a product or service that’s suddenly experiencing huge extra demand. In the same way that anyone selling freezers or laptops saw a huge spike in orders as the country went into lockdown, so many farmshops have seen turnover rocket as customers turned their backs on supermarkets in favour of more local produce and what they deemed to be a safer shopping experience. While launching a new enterprise may call for additional skills to those which farmers and landowners traditionally deploy (managing a bigger workforce, for example), the fundamentals of making a success of it are similar to making a success of a farm or estate. It demands such traits as being able to spot opportunities, keep costs low, research ideas, find niches, manage cashflow and limit risk. The fact is, bad farmers rarely diversify well. It’s not the solution or the salvation for a flawed farm business. However, if you’re good at one, you may well be good at the other. The post-BPS world calls for us to view farms and estates not solely, possibly even not predominantly, as ‘agricultural’ entities. They contain a range of assets including land, buildings, the natural environment and the skills of you and everyone who works with you – which potentially can be put to many different uses. As ever, it’s about full utilisation, ‘sweating’ these assets in a financially sustainable way. That means every acre of ground and every square metre of building space. This may well require a broader knowledge base than was previously the case, making it a good time to ask yourself: “Who’s in my team?” This means

yourself, your family, the people who work for you and those who you take advice from and borrow money from. It’s vital that everyone in that team is in it for the long haul with you, prepared to stand by you in the tough times as well as the better ones. Covid-19 has demonstrated this isn’t always the case. Right now, some banks are being brilliant at supporting their clients, but others aren’t. Coronavirus will change farming and the countryside in a host of ways. The journey to diversify will quicken. We’ll see an increasing preparedness to talk about succession as businesses choose to, and are forced to, restructure. Farmers and landowners will be reluctant to take on more debt than is absolutely essential. The move to online trading will quicken. More businesses will go cashless. Consumers will shop locally more, with provenance and traceability hopefully becoming more than merely nice words but embedded in their buying habits. It has been a delight to see renewed support for UK farmers emerge from the coronavirus pandemic. Farming has always involved unpredictability, be it caused by the weather, disease or by government policy. Unpredictability just got even more unpredictable. In a world of global trade, with BPS support falling and markets constantly changing, the importance of having multiple, diverse revenue streams increases. The ‘up horn, down corn’ adage will serve the next generation as well as it has the last. • See page 34 for Mark Weaver’s advice on succession planning

MARK WEAVER

Managing director, CLM T: 01892 770339 www.c-l-m.co.uk

• Basic Payment Scheme • Farm and Estate Management • Farm Business Consultancy • Rent Reviews • Countryside Stewardship • Ecological Surveys

Call us on 01892 770339 or email info@c-l-m.co.uk www.c-l-m.co.uk

JUNE 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

Property of the week

Savills Haywards Heath

01444 446 064 066

Rotherfield, East Sussex Beautiful and secluded Wealden estate, 5 bedroom farmhouse, leisure amenities, 3 additional cottages, equestrian facilities, farm and utility buildings, long driveway, lovely views, pasture, woodland and ponds, EPC=D

Guide £4.95 million | Freehold

About 159 acres

Talk to us today Chris Spofforth Director 01444 446 064 cspofforth@savills.com

savills.co.uk | savills.co.uk Follow us on what can we do for you?

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

LAND AND FARMS

The entire economy has been hit hard by the unexpected outbreak of Covid-19. March 23 2020 will now and forever be a day etched on the memory as we entered a period of lockdown, requiring the closure of all but essential retailers, asking households to stay indoors and preventing non-essential travel. Millions of the UK workforce moved into their studies, spare rooms, kitchens, hallways and cupboards under the stairs, severely testing home wifi capabilities and video conference etiquette. During the crisis, we have seen 59% of house building sites close and predictions are for a 35% reduction in houses built in 2020 (source: Knight Frank). As housebuilders prepare to open construction sites, they face the challenge of ensuring social distancing on site but more so disruption to their supply chains. There are also challenges from purchasers in the months ahead; at the end of March, 59% of housebuilders surveyed by the HBF considered buyer confidence a major constraint on development, 40% also stated that mortgage availability posed a challenge, an increase from 6% in Q4 2019. It therefore seems unavoidable that looking forward, this crisis will scar housing delivery figures for years and individual councils will face challenges meeting housing requirements. Conversely, the past three months have shone an exceedingly bright light on the national housing crisis with many families squeezed into inadequate homes and young people with no option but to live with their families. It is clear that adequate housing remains unaffordable to many.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE

There is already a clear drive from the Government to ensure that the development roadshow is kept on the move but a key question is once some degree of normality returns, what measures might be needed to stimulate the market? As was found in the 2008 recession, the

LAY OF THE LAND

What does Covid-19 mean for the housebuilding industry and demand for land? housebuilding industry is key to kick starting the economy. Therefore the ambitions of this government set out in the Spring Budget with its biggest ever programme of public investment which is to include roads, railways, affordable housing and broadband, will likely remain a key area for government. The announcements so far have shown that government is prepared to go to extraordinary lengths to support the industry â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in the space of two weeks, government introduced new legislation, we have seen virtual planning committees and we are all embracing new technology around the industry to find new forms of engagement with the public.

CHANGES WE MIGHT SEE IN A POST COVID-19 PLANNING WORLD

Having been cooped up in our homes for weeks, it would be fair to speculate that in terms of planning we may see additional emphasis on the importance of public open space. This has always been an area of key focus for Catesby Estates but we envisage that councillors will wish to scrutinise landscaping proposals to seek to create green walking routes and logical open space. The question of whether people will go back to their normal working practices or whether Covid-19 will lead to long term changes is also pertinent. The design standards around home and room sizes coupled with more weight on how to facilitate people to work from home could be key considerations. Similarly, ensuring reliable internet connectivity is likely to make its way into discussions around new homes. In addition, before Covid-19, local politicians and the public had been responding positively

to developers who demonstrated a measurable improvement in biodiversity on housing sites. It is our opinion that this emphasis will continue post Covid-19.

NEXT STEPS FOR LANDOWNERS

From our experience, the past few months have brought swift and unprecedented change that has required resilience, adaptability, patience and cooperation. We have noticed, among colleagues, clients and councils a broad desire to make the very best of exceptionally challenging circumstances. On the whole, councils have continued to determine applications at a rate almost identical to previous months in the last year* and confidence in the use of technology is increasing as we see more examples of virtual committees and meetings. In particular we have seen appetite from planning policy departments to use this time to progress evidence based documents. There will always be a few councils who shy away from embracing change but these are the exception rather than the rule. Therefore, the evidence is that both the government and councils recognise the continued very real issues, felt by many, about the housing crisis and that they must do their part to keep housebuilding as a driving factor for the economy. This is reflected in desire from developers and land promoters; for example, in a survey 94% of Savills agents reported land deals progressing without change. Therefore, like others, Catesby Estates remains very much open for business and is actively seeking new opportunities to support a fast recovery. *Source: LichďŹ elds

Could your land have development potential? Find out more about land promotion

DAWN ADAMS

Planning Manager, Catesby Estates plc T: 01926 836910 E: dawna@catesbyestates.co.uk W: www.catesbyestates.co.uk

TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | JUNE 2020

LAND AND FARMS ROTHERFIELD | EAST SUSSEX Streele Farm is a modernised and wellpresented five-bedroom farmhouse set in the heart of 160 acres of its own rolling farmland, with three cottages for extended family accommodation or letting income, leisure and equestrian facilities. The farm is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, close to the villages of Rotherfield and Mayfield in East Sussex, with wonderful views over the Weald. Located down a long private driveway, the south-facing farmhouse forms the centerpiece of the estate, with a spacious kitchen, dining and family room, two formal reception rooms and five en suite bedrooms off a part-galleried landing. A glazed double garage designed for top-end collectable cars, shower room and large first floor gym adjoin the house via a modern glass link. The formal gardens are beautifully landscaped, with expanses of York stone terrace, ponds and water features, and areas of well-maintained lawn. A parterre garden with box hedging, rose beds and a central terrace creates a wonderful space for al fresco entertaining. There are three further cottages including

GUIDE PRICE: £4,950,000

160 ACRES

COUNTRY HOME WITH FABULOUS VIEWS Streele Barn, a Grade II Listed thatched property with three bedrooms and a south-facing terrace; The Old Dairy, a single storey, timber framed thatched property with three bedrooms; and The Oast, a one bedroom self-contained cottage, which is currently used as the estate office. Streele Barn and The Old Dairy face onto an attractive courtyard and beyond this, partially screened by hedging, is a swimming pool, tennis court, games room and pool house, creating an excellent leisure complex. The equestrian facilities include a stable yard with eight loose boxes and a feed room, outdoor school and a fully enclosed barn. There are two further barns suitable for hay and machinery storage or alternative uses, subject to necessary

planning consents. The farmland is predominantly well maintained pasture with parcels of deciduous woodland and shaws. The main block of woodland extends to more than 30 acres and there are several ponds and streams on the estate, offering the opportunity to create a small but interesting shoot. Chris Spofforth, Savills farm agency team in the south east, says: “Streele Farm is an archetypical lifestyle farm, with cottages providing income potential, equestrian and leisure facilities. It’s in a very peaceful and secluded spot, surrounded by its own land in the beautiful Sussex countryside, yet still easily commutable to London.” Streele Farm is being marketed by Savills for a guide price of £4,950,000.

P O T JUNE 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

K C I P

www.batchellermonkhouse.com Residential

▪

Rural

▪

Equestrian

Library image due to Covid-19 restrictions

SURREY, NEAR BIGGIN HILL

WEST SUSSEX, NEAR HORSHAM GUIDE PRICE £1,750,000

About 380 acres available on a seasonal grazing licence 2020 - 2022. Traditional small grass farm set in approximately 37.7 acres with Please contact Kate Richards to discuss the license fee and for more no immediate neighbours. information. The deadline for applications is the 30 June. Period Farmhouse with 4 Bedrooms. Separate 2 Bedroom Cottage. Range of Outbuildings and Stabling. Garden and Swimming Pool. APPLY: KATE RICHARDS 07902 754649 APPLY: PULBOROUGH OFFICE 01798 872081 or k.richards@batchellermonkhouse.com

Battle 01424 775577

Haywards Heath 01444 453181

Pulborough 01798 872081

Tunbridge Wells 01892 509280

London Mayfair mayfair@batchellermonkhouse.com

 01424 752501  07375 079924 After 49 years the founder owner wishes to retire.

Subject to Contract

VINEYARD RETIREMENT SALE Hastings, East Sussex 37 Acres – POA

Battle 01424 775577

Haywards Heath 01444 453181

Pulborough 01798 872081

The Vineyard is offered for sale as a going concern: • 37 acres of mature yielding vines, 12 popular grape varieties yielding approx 80 tons for the last two years • 7 bedroom farm house. • Wine shop with seating for 35 visitors • First floor tasting room • 5 bonded warehouses including grape presses and 200,000 litres storage. • Bottling room and two finished product storage. • Car parking for 40 plus cars • Walled garden • Deep well water supply for pure water • Over 200 (International and National awards. First Gold medal in France in 1989 and again in 1999 for Sparkling Wine. • Approx 150,000 bottles produced and bottled of a pro-biotic health drink called Kombucha. • ContractLondon bottling for other vineyards. Mayfair Tunbridge Wells • Lapsed planning consent for a new winery for 500,000 mayfair@batchellermonkhouse.com 01892 512020 bottles of sparkling wine with a visitor’s centre

All stock and tangible assets with the brand “Carr Taylor” is included.

Only serious buyers/investors with Proof of Funds are considered by appointment. Please contact Mr D Carr Taylor: Carr Taylor Wines Ltd, Westﬁeld, Hastings, East Sussex, TN35 4SG

 01424 752501  07375 079924  www.carr-taylor.co.uk  david@carr-taylor.co.uk TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | JUNE 2020

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CS982 SE Farmer Advert 60mm x 93.qxd:Layout 1

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Kenward Construction based in Horsham, West Sussex offer a full design and build service for your next steel framed building including composite cladding, concrete panels, roller shutter doors and bespoke designs to meet individual planning conditions. Kenward Construction also offer a wide range of services offering a truly one stop shop for your next farm building project. Demolition, plant hire, access roads, drainage, sewage treatment plants, rainwater harvesting, biobed wash downs, paving, concrete foundations / slabs, walling and site landscaping.

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CONSTRUCTION

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CONSTRUCTION SHORTLAND STRUCTURES LTD

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CONTRACTORS

FROM £220 PER ACRE

Grubbing, timber & groundwork services • orchard grubbing

• land clearance

• windbreak removal

• excavations

• timber extraction

• cultivations

• fallen tree removal

• pond dredging

• ground contouring

• reservoir construction

W.H.Skinner & Sons

LAND DRAINAGE ENVIRONMENTAL HABITATS water course maintenance and improvement works

   

For all enquiries call 01233 860404 FIELD 07770 867625 MAPPING (Harvey) or 07768 115849 (Dave)

DRAINAGE SURVEYING DESIGN SWA DRAINAGE SW ATTWOOD & PARTNERS

S W ATTWOOD & PARTNERS FROM £220 PER ACRE LAND DRAINAGE

S W ATTWOOD & PARTNERS LAND DRAINAGE

 FIELD MAPPING  DRAINAGE SURVEYING 01622 744640 - 07711 264775  DESIGN www.whskinnerandsons.co.uk  DRAINAGE

Mainland

FROM £220 PER ACRE

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT US OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE:

Rentals and Developments Limited

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PHONE: 01795 880441 • FIELD MAPPING • DRAINAGE SURVEYING PLEASE CONTACT US OR VISIT OUR • DESIGN • DRAINAGE EMAIL: james@swattwood.com WEBSITE:

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT JAMES OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE

www.attwoodfarms.com PHONE: 01795 880441

TOM: 01795 880441 or 07884 664035

EMAIL: james@swattwood.com EMAIL: james@swattwood.com GRAIN STORAGE & TESTING

  LANDwww.swjfattwood.com DRAINAGE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION  PLANT HIRE OUR PLEASE CONTACT US OR VISIT INERT TIPPING WEBSITE:   GRAIN STORAGE Competitive Direct Drilling Service  CLAY SALES Using our proven Simtech Aitchison direct drill we seed into all surfaces grasses, PHONE: 01795 880441

www.attwoodfarms.

 LAND DRAINAGE BULK EARTHWORKS & PLANT HIRE clovers, brassicas, cereals, pulses, maize and all mixtures. The unique T-slot boot allows a perfect environment for the seeds to germinate, EMAIL: james@swattwood.com Plant Hire Equipment Available:  PLANT HIRE along its 2.7 sowing width with 18 rows.     

John Deere Tractors from 100-250hp Excavators from 8-35 tonne Bulldozers D4, D5, D6 Loading shovels Telehandlers

 INERT TIPPING www.attwoodfarms.com

Covering the South East

07714 480088 john@mainland-rentals.co.uk TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

This method saves time and money compared with more traditional re-seeding methods, but is also capable of stitching and rejuvenating existing crops.



CLAY SALES

 GRAIN STORAGE & TESTING  LAND DRAINAGE  PLANT HIRE Town Place Farm, Haywards Heath  Mob: 07970 INERT TIPPING Tel: 01825 790341 621832 Email: Charlie@townplacefarm.co.uk  CLAY SALES

WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET | JUNE 2020

CLASSIFIEDS

FENCING EVENTS

HIRE SPECIALISTS ACROSS THE SOUTH EAST • Toilets & Showers for hire

Manufacturers of Chestnut Fencing Products Hardwood gates Cleft post and rail Stakes and posts Chestnut fencing

CWP fenci f n ng

• Large range of Temporary canteens, stores & welfare units

Tel: 07985298221 www.cwpfencing.co.uk

IRRIGATION

• Effluent Tank Emptying • Events also catered for with marquees & toilets

FOUR JAYS GROUP

Why dig when we can trench it?

Tel: 01622 843135 Fax: 01622 844410 enquiries@fourjays.co.uk www.fourjays.co.uk

HAULIERS 07860 728204 Hay & Straw Merchant | Machinery Haulage

Trencher with operator for installing: • Irrigation and water pipes • Utility cables and ducting • Repairs to water pipes • Impact moling

Enquiries FieldWaterInstallations@gmail.com Est 1993

01580 891728 or 07768 626131 www.fwi-trenching.co.uk

PRESSURE WASHERS

66 HAY & STRAW IN STOCK | ROUND & BIG SQUARE BALES

Find us on Facebook

INDUSTRIAL DOORS DOORS LTD

SUPPLY INSTALLATION MAINTENANCE SERVICE

SALES, SERVICE & HIRE OUT of Pressure Washers, Vacuums, Scrubber Dryers, Sweepers & Dry Steamers from the leading manufacturers! Fully Stocked mobile engineers with full manufacturer training. Over 45 YEARS in trading!

INDUSTRIAL DOOR SERVICES Sectional doors • Roller Shutter doors • High speed doors Loading bay equipment • Personnel and Fire doors

TEL:01293 554750 TEL:01293 WWW.PRESSURECLEAN.CO.UK WWW.PRESSURECLEAN.CO.UK

STORAGE TANKS Culnells Farm, School Lane, Iwade, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 8QJ Fax: 01634 360955 Mobile: 07973 299664 Email: sales@yiannisdoors.co.uk

Tel: 01634 378523

www.yiannisdoors.co.uk

KING

FENCING

STORAGE TANKS Horizontal Cylindrical Tanks

PHILIP JUNIPER

From 54,500 litres to 27,250 litres (12,000 - 6,000 gallon)

Specialists in Stock, Deer and Equestrian Fencing

With cabinet, guage and alarm

Single and twin compartments, with cradles

Bunded Tanks

Fencing Services

From 27,000 litres to 10,000 litres (6,000 - 2,000 gallon) All suitable for fuel, water and effluent Call today for details

Covering the South East Tel: (01403) 700509 Mobile: 07836 219344

www.philipjuniper.co.uk

JUNE 2020 | WWW.SOUTHEASTFARMER.NET

Tel 01638 712328

www.thekinggroup.co.uk/tanks

CROSSWORD ®

VINEYARDS

COMPLETE OUR CROSSWORD TO WIN Two Biddies 8, four Biddies 5, one Special Reserve and one Special Mead

ACROSS

9 10

12 13 14

Bird (9) Even (5) Official record keeper (9) Michael -----, Monty Python actor (5) Strong wind (4) Circular symbol; Decorative medallion (7) Dog breed (7,7) Make every effort (7) Season (6) Embarrassed (7) The smallest particle (4) Rare breed sheep, ---------- Moorit (10) Hinderance, obstacle (9) Simple (4)

1 2 3 4 6 7 10 13 14 15 17 18 19 21 22 23 24

Herb (6) Within the law (5) Clenched hand (4) Afraid (7) Game bird (5) To make someone angry (7) Lazy (4) Miserable (4) A group of people attending another (9) Meat cut (4) Epoch (3) Outer layer (5) Consume (3) Machinery (5) Total (3) Fruit (5) Give someone a job (6)

DOWN

19 24

1 5 8 9 11 12 14 16 18 20 23 25 26 27

Crossword by Rebecca Farmer, Broadstairs, Kent

PRIZE ANAGRAM: Blood sucking parasite (10,9)

To enter, simply unscramble the

anagram (10,9) using the green squares.

Email your replies with your name, address and phone number to sef.ed@kelsey.co.uk Correct entries will be entered into a draw which will take place on 15 June. The winner will be announced in the July edition. TO ADVERTISE CALL 01303 233883

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS: 1

VINEYARDS

To celebrate Father’s Day we are

For more information about the vineyards, please visit www.biddendenvineyards.com or call 01580 291726. *Subject to availability

R T

A A

X 16

E S

E T

M E R

N N

I D W

F 15

A C

R Y

N 26

L 25

S 12

Biddies 8, four Biddies 5, one Special Reserve and one Special Mead.

offering readers the chance to win two

C 11

S U

E L

E 23

D L

S T E M

LAST MONTH’S WINNER: June Cox-Smith from Icklesham East Sussex Correct answer: Meristem